tory  of 
'CAREY 


igiii|iiii»liil<piii^^ 


-  ?coo 


BV  3  269  .C3  A66  1922 
Applegarth,  Margaret  T.  1886 

-1976. 
The  career  of  a  cobbler 


llc^^^i^»<JU^-^lciy< 


The  Career  of  a  Cobbler 

THE  LIFE  STORY  OF  WILLIAM  CAREY 


WORKS  BY 

Margaret  T.  Applegarth 

The  Career  of  a  Cobbler 

The  Life  Story  of  William  Carey.     75c. 

Abandoning  the  usual  biographical  methods, 
Miss  Applegarth  has  Vishmuswam,  a  Hindu,  tell 
the  life  story  of  William  Carey  to  an  incredulous 
listener.  Miss  Applegarth's  tale  is  told  in  warm, 
convincing  fashion,  marked  by  much  genuine  local 
color,  and  charged  with  the  glamour  of  the  East. 

Next  Door  Neighbors 

Thumbnail  sketches  from  Home 
Missions $1.25 

"The  chapters  are  called  '  Thumbnail  Sketches,' 
and  they  are  evidently  drawn  from  life.  This  is 
a  perfectly  delightful  volume,  and  readers  both 
old  and  young  will  enjoy  these  vivid  stories  and 
rejoice  in  the  opportunities  sho^vn  of  bringing  the 
Gospel  to  bear  upon  these  varied  nationalities." 

—S.  S,  Times. 


The  Career  of  a 
Cobbler 


THE  LIFE 
STORY  OF  WILLIAM  CAREY 


By 

MARGARET  T.  APPLEGARTH 


Author  of  "  Next-Door  Neighbors,"  "  The  School  of  Mother's 
Knee"  '*  Lamplighters  Across  the  Sea,"  etc. 


New  York  Chicago 

Fleming  H.   Revell  Company 

London       and       Edinburgh 


Copyright,  1922,  by 
FLEMING  H.  REVELL  COMPANY 


Printed  in  United  State*  #/  Amerietk 


New    York:  158    Fifth    Avenue 

Chicago:    17  North  Wabash  Ave. 

London:    21  Paternoster    Square 

Edinburgh:  75     Princes     Street 


**  Nor  knmoesi  thau  what  argument 
Thy  life  to  thy  neighbor's  creed  hath  lent.^'' 

— Ralph  Waldo  Bmerson. 


Contents 

CHAPTER 

I.    Sunset 9 

Vishnuswami  Introduces  the 
Cobbler 

/"  II.    Twilight 21 

The  Cobbler  Reaches  India 

III.  Stahlight 34 

They  That  Turn  Many  to  Right- 
eousness 

IV.  Moonlight 49 

The  Cobbler^ s  Paper  Voices 

V.    The  Wee  Small  Hours     ...      63 
A  Double  Surprise  Concerning 
Woinen  and  Rupees 

VI.    Dawn 75 

Into  a  New  Hope 


I.    SUNSET. 

VisHijruswAMi  Introduces  the  Cobbler 

ACHATTEEING  monkey  or  two 
frisked  overhead  in  the  pabn 
trees  which  skirted  the  village 
market-place,  deserted  now  that  the  sun 
was  setting.  But  to  your  eyes  and  mine 
the  objects  of  conspicuous  interest  would 
have  been  two  turbans,  like  gaudy  tulips  of 
gold  and  scarlet,  nodding  in  the  slow,  un- 
hurried conversation  of  the  East,  as  their 
owners  sat  at  the  edge  of  the  bazaar  facing 
the  sunset 

^  *  Now,  conceiTiing  the  white  sahib,  it  is 
to  be  admitted  that  he  died  full  of  good 
works,''  agreed  Chunder  Singh  with  com- 
placent indifference. 

*  *  You  must  indeed  admit  it, ' '  said  he  of 
the  golden-yellow  turban,  *^  although  his 
death  was  as  nothing  compared  to  his  life. 
I  that  speak  unto  you  have  made  inquiries, 
and  surely  no  hero  in  all  India,  no  god  in 
all  our  sacred  books  performed  such  deeds 
as  his.    Seventy-three  years  is  old  age,  my 

9 


10        THE  CAREER  OF  A  COBBLER 

kinsman,  and  liad  I  the  tongue  of  a  speaker 
I  wonld  fill  your  ears  with  the  tale  of  it.'* 

**  Impostor!  Time  is  endless,'*  drawled 
Chunder  Singh,  ^  ^  and  here  I  sit  with  end- 
less leisure.  The  cool  of  the  evening  is 
upon  us,  so  tell  me  in  all  truth,  think  you 
that  the  gods  in  truth  have  liked  this  man? 
Did  not  they  let  rain-clouds  burst  with  vio- 
lence on  the  day  of  his  funeral!  ** 

Vishnuswami  nodded.  * '  Put  down  your 
ear  and  listen  to  me,  Chunder  Singh,  for  I 
myself  was  in  the  crowd  of  Hindus  and 
Mohammedans  who  lined  the  roadway  on 
that  most  unhappy  day.  It  is  true  that 
rain  poured  on  us;  but  on  reaching  the 
grave  the  sun  shone  out  in  splendour,  so  I 
ask,  what  make  you  of  that  omenl  ** 

**  Ah,  I  am  consumed  with  curiosity. 
Tell  me  of  this  hero  whose  paths  the  gods 
made  smooth,  giving  him  a  glorious  end. 
Behold  I  sit  in  silence !  You  have  inquired 
with  fullness,  so  spare  me  no  details.  "Was 
he,  perhaps,  of  high  caste  and  of  great 
wealth?  " 

^^  My  friend,  you  mistake;  for  even  in 
England,  where  they  have  not  the  castes 
of  India,  he  was  despised  for  his  low-caste 
occupation.  You  will  have  noticed  that 
these  Englishmen  wear  leather  shoes  upon 


SUNSET  U 

their  feet.  Well,  by  trade  lie  was  a  cob- 
bler, one  who  makes  poor  men's  shoes  for 
a  living." 

^^  A  worker  in  leather?  Ah,  one  who 
stoops  to  deal  with  skins  of  dead  animals 
is  low  caste  indeed,"  said  the  man  in  the 
scarlet  tnrban,  scornfully.  **  You  hardly 
need  weight  your  tongue  with  the  tale  of  a 
mere  pariah.    It  is  beneath  our  notice." 

^^  No,  no,  you  mistake.  Think  not  to 
despise  him  for  the  work  of  his  hands," 
begged  Vishnuswami  earnestly.  ^*  For 
though  of  humble  parents,  and  quite  poor, 
he  was  fed  by  sacred  fire,  and  when  only 
a  lad  he  sat  up  in  the  boughs  of  a  tree 
with  his  young  comrades,  and  caused  their 
very  hair  to  rise  on  end  with  strange  new 
tales  of  far-oif  countries  which  men  of 
England  had  discovered.  Even  when  he 
grew  older,  those  far-off  places  beckoned 
to  his  inner  spirit,  until  from  pieces  of 
brown  paper  he  pasted  together  a  map  of 
the  whole  wide  world;  places,  my  brother, 
of  which  you  and  I  do  not  dream.  Eng- 
lishmen also  did  not  know  much,  nor  care 
much,  hut  he  cared.  And  he  hung  his 
home-made  map  upon  the  wall  opposite  his 
cobbler's  bench.  On  it  he  wrote  in  the 
English  language  facts  about  every  coun- 


12        THE  CAREER  OF  A  COBBLER 

try  until  it  was  as  if  all  the  world  had  come 
to  dwell  in  his  heart,  where  the  sacred  fire 
was  burning.  Fix  it  before  your  eyes,  my 
brother;  one  poor  unknown  cobbler,  with 
never  enough  to  eat,  stretching  out  his 
arms  to  the  ends  of  earth,  while  others 
throughout  England  were  indifferent.'* 

*'  "VVhy  should  I  fix  a  paper  map  in  my 
memory!  The  whims  of  low-caste  cob- 
blers do  not  interest  me.'' 

**  You  will  do  well  to  write  it  on  your 
heart,  however.  For  one  day  in  every 
seven  this  cobbler  spoke  to  gatherings  of 
Christians  in  houses  known  as  churches 
until  finally  he  was  ordained  to  be  a  person 
called  a  minister.  You  must  not  think  this 
like  our  priesthood,  since  he  did  not  play 
on  the  fears  of  his  people  in  order  to 
wheedle  gold  from  their  girdles,  neither 
did  he  seek  to  live  in  luxury.  For  be  it 
known  to  you  that  even  while  exhorting 
them  most  eloquently,  one  day  in  every 
seven,  he  was  still  so  poorly  paid  that  he 
made  shoes  on  all  other  days,  and  even  for 
a  space  of  years  he  taught  school  to  sup- 
port his  wife  and  children." 

* '  What !  Do  you  say  he  was  a  pundit, 
scholarly  and  learned?  " 

''  My  friend,  it  was  the  sacred  fire  again. 


SUNSET  13 

He  could  not  rest  until  the  unknown  was 
known,  yet  never  could  he  go  to  places  of 
high  learning,  colleges,  and  such.  Picture 
him  with  nails  and  leather  making  hoots, 
hut  always  with  a  hook  beside  him.  This 
was  his  college,  a  poor  cobbler  ^s  cottage 
with  roses  growing  round  the  doorway, 
and  his  wooden  sign  swinging  on  its 
hinges.  A  simple  life,  yet  he  became  a 
man  of  six  new  tongues.'' 

'  *  A  strange  word,  you  say ;  what  can 
you  mean — six  tonguesf" 

^'  Ah,  friend  of  my  childhood,  surely  it 
is  known  to  you  that  in  India  many 
tongues  are  spoken.  It  is  even  so  out- 
side, in  other  places;  there  are  tongues  of 
men  long  dead  and  gone,  and  tongues  of 
men  still  living.  This  cobbler,  Carey, 
learned  six  languages  while  cobbling  shoes, 
although  they  say  when  but  a  child  he 
learned  the  speech  called  Latin.  There 
was  the  tongue  called  Greek ;  when  he  first 
saw  its  curious  hooks  and  curves  he  traced 
them  on  a  piece  of  paper  and  walked  long 
miles  to  ask  a  man  of  his  acquaintance  in 
a  distant  village  what  language  this  might 
be.  By  walking  to  this  man  for  lessons  he 
grew  master  of  that  tongue.  Hebrew  also 
he  learned,  as  well  as  Dutch  and  French, 


14        THE  CAREER  OF  A  COBBLER 

while  cobbling  shoes  and  gazing  on  his 
curious  map.  No  wonder  that  the  sacred 
fire  was  warm  within  him.'* 

**  Now,  concerning  this  sacred  fire,*' 
said  Chnnder  Singh,  with  curions  heart, 
**  if  it  conld  turn  a  man  who  worked  in 
leather  into  someone  wise  and  learned,  of 
what  nature  was  it?  *' 

**  A  wondrous  thing,  my  brother,  for  it 
was  of  an  unselfish  nature.  They  who 
would  sit  comfortably  in  England  and 
worship  the  living  God  were  doing  wrong, 
he  felt ;  for  there  were  words  in  his  Holy 
Book  of  Heaven  which  continually  spoke 
to  his  heart.  They  were  the  parting  words 
said  by  the  living  God  while  on  the  earth 
long  years  ago ;  listen  while  I  quote  them : 
*  Go  ye  into  all  the  world  and  preach  the 
gospel  to  all  nations,  and  lo,  I  am  with  you 
alway.'  '* 

Chunder  Singh  nodded  his  scarlet  tur- 
ban approvingly;  ''  The  words  are  clear, 
the  meaning  also.  It  is  a  strong  com- 
mand.'* 

**  Ah,  what  a  curiosity!  Clear  to  you,  a 
Hindu;  and  clear  to  me,  a  Hindu;  but  to 
Christian  men  in  England  it  was  most  un- 
welcome that  the  cobbler  should  make 
mention  of  it.    Picture  him  one  day  among 


SUNSET  15 

a  crowd  of  Christians — all  preachers, 
Chunder  Singh,  the  same  as  he;  and  with 
solemn  calls  to  service  he  quoted  the  com- 
mand, and  made  earnest  pleas  to  send  the 
gospel  to  the  waiting  world.  "Well,  you 
should  have  heard  the  disapproval.  *  Sit 
down,  young  man,*  said  one  sahib  of  many 
years.  *  You  are  a  miserable  enthusiast 
for  asking  such  a  question.  Certainly 
nothing  can  be  done  before  another  Pente- 
cost, when  an  effusion  of  miraculous  gifts, 
including  the  gift  of  tongues,  will  give 
effect  to  the  commission  of  Christ  as  at 
first.'  And  before  another  moon  had 
waxed  and  waned  a  preacher  of  the  living 
God  assured  him,  *  If  God  wishes  to  con- 
vert the  heathen  he  will  do  it  without  your 
help  or  mine.'  '' 

Chunder  Singh  smote  his  knee  uneasily. 
**  Your  cobbler  had  no  feet  to  stand  on, 
had  he?  But  I  am  puzzled  as  to  the  men 
you  name  as  heathen,  who  may  they  be?  " 

^*  Even  you  and  I,  and  all  the  men  of 
India  who  bow  down  to  idols  and  ignore 
the  living  God  of  heaven.  It  was  of  us  the 
cobbler  dreamed  across  the  sea  in  Eng- 
land." 

Chunder  Singh  shifted  his  position  and 
raised  his  arms  toward  the  sunset  skies- 


16        THE  CAREER  OF  A  COBBLER 

*'  A  living  God — what  news  is  this?  And 
yet  I  tell  yon  truly,  from  a  child  I  have  had 
hunger  like  that,  and  always  do  I  seek  him 
among  our  million  gods  of  India.  Tell  me 
more  of  the  low-caste  cohhler,  surely  such 
as  he  could  not  hope  to  triumph  over  men 
of  other  castes.'' 

^*  You  mistake  in  naming  them  castes, 
since  England  has  no  such  divisions.  But 
think  you  that  a  man  who  tends  a  sacred 
fire  could  hold  his  silence?  Since  none 
would  listen  to  his  spoken  words,  this  man 
of  toil  had  recourse  to  a  paper  voice,  and 
wrote  a  survey  of  the  outside  world,  con- 
tinent by  continent,  island  by  island,  race 
by  race,  faith  by  faith,  kingdom  by  king- 
dom. Oh,  my  brother,  consider  what  a  stir 
it  made  in  England,  that  a  cobbler  should 
have  had  the  whole  world  in  his  heart  and 
have  spread  it  out  on  paper!  What  man 
of  culture  could  have  done  as  much,  seeing 
the  sacred  fire  burned  only  in  the  heart  of 
Carey  Sahib,  and  one  other,  newly  roused, 
named  Andrew  Fuller.  They  two  prayed 
many  prayers  that  they  might  wake  the 
sleeping  Christians.  Then  came  a  yearly 
gathering  of  these  Christians,  and  Carey 
Sahib  was  called  on  to  speak;  a  curious 


SUNSET  17 

siglit,  a  poor  cobbler  urging  them  with 
stirring  words  to 

*  Attempt  great  things  for  God, 
Expect  great  things  from  God.' 


All  listened  with  a  rapt  attention,  much 
impressed:  bnt  like  men  before  a  chasm, 
they  were  afraid  to  step,  and  were  return- 
ing to  their  distant  homes  when  Carey 
Sahib  said  in  great  distress  to  Fuller 
Sahib,  ^  And  are  you  after  all  going  to  do 
nothing? ' 

^'  From  this  imploring  plea  they  wrote 
it  on  their  books  that  a  plan  should  be 
made  to  form  a  society,  which,  you  must 
understand,  is  the  thing  these  English 
have  to  run  all  business. '* 

^ '  Now  as  to  that  society — I  do  not  grasp 
its  business,  do  I? " 

**  Have  I  not  said  it?  To  send  news 
about  the  Christians'  God  to  every  man 
on  earth.  I  ask  you  to  consider  well  the 
bravery  of  those  men,  my  brother,  since 
they  were  only  twelve  in  number,  preach- 
ers also  without  riches,  meeting  in  the 
town  of  Kittering,  a  place  of  no  worldly 
importance,  in  the  house  of  one  named 
Widow  Wallis.''  j 


18        THE  CAREER  OF  A  COBBLER 

**  What  say  you — a  widow f  Bah,  you 
make  me  think  but  little  of  this  enterprise ; 
a  low-caste  man  who  works  in  leather, 
twelve  poor  preachers,  and — a  widow. 
What?  Was  there  none  else  vfho  owned  a 
roof  that  they  must  stoop  so  low  to  share 
her  house? '' 

'^  Poor  dweller  in  the  hut  of  ignorance! 
What  blunders  you  commit  with  haughty 
lips.  I  tell  you  truly  that  in  England  they 
think  not  as  we  do  in  India  about  widows. 
Behold,  let  a  man  die,  and  the  neighbours 
shower  consolations  on  his  widow,  and  no- 
body blames  her  for  her  husband's  death. 
I  have  made  special  questions  of  this  thing. 
So  to  this  day  the  name  of  Widow  Wallis 
is  well  loved  by  Christians,  since  in  her 
humble  house  was  formed  the  new  society. 
I  will  make  mention  of  its  title,  for 
these  English  have  a  love  for  lengthy 
words — '  The  Particular  Baptist  Society 
for  Propagating  the  Gospel  Among  the 
Heathen.'  Before  I  pass  to  other  matters 
I  would  have  you  write  it  on  your  heart 
that  this  marked  the  first  such  enterprise 
the  Christians  of  that  day  had  ever 
started. '* 

^^  "Why  should  I  write  it?  Twelve  men 
of  poverty  can't  travel  far  from  home.    I 


SUNSET  19 

marvel  how  this  cobbler  got  to  India." 
Vishnuswami  checked  his  sneering.  "  I 
smiled  in  doubt  myself,  since  on  that  day 
of  starting  their  society  the  most  they 
conld  collect  was  £13  12s.  6d.  You  being 
quick  at  figures  can  see  how  small  a  sum  of 
rupees  that  would  be  to  send  a  man  across 
the  many  seas  to  India.  Yet  when  Andrew 
Fuller  Sahib  rose,  he  said,  ^  In  India  is  a 
gold  mine,  but  it  seems  almost  as  deep  as 
the  center  of  the  earth.  Who  will  venture 
to  explore  it?  '  And  Carey  Sahib  an- 
swered promptly,  *  I  will  venture  to  go 
down,  but  you  must  hold  the  ropes.'  '' 

Chunder  Singh  looked  with  interest  at 
the  first  pale  star  twinkling  in  the  evening 
sky  before  he  said  disdainfully,  **  Must 
you  tear  out  your  heart  in  praise  1  I  make 
no  doubt  the  cobbler '  knew  it  was  his 
chance  to  bring  great  glory  on  his  head, 
to  win  great  merit  from  the  men  of  Eng- 
land— he,  a  mere  nobody ! ' ' 

*'  How  you  babble,"  laughed  Vishnu- 
swami  softly,  *'  for  the  lofty  men  of  Eng- 
land only  sneered  and  the  men  high  up  in 
London  muttered  in  their  beards:  *  Can 
anything  come  out  of  Kettering,  that  little 
town  of  no  account  ? '  Moreover,  the  father 
of  the  cobbler  said  in  much  disgust,  *  Is 


20        THE  CAREER  OF  A  COBBLER 

William  mad?'  and  his  wife,  with  all  the 
strange  perverseness  of  most  womankind, 
refused  to  come  to  India  with  him.  There 
was  much  toil  in  raising  money  for  the 
passage,  and,  to  crown  it  all,  the  very 
ships  objected  to  receiving  him  on  board. 
So  I  ask  you,  where  was  glory  in  all  thisf 

**  You  bury  me  in  deep  surprise," 
sighed  poor  Chunder  Singh;  '*  I  only  ask 
one  question;  why,  in  the  teeth  of  separa- 
tions, trouble,  poverty,  and  certain  death, 
did  he  set  sail  for  India?  '' 

'^  Ah,  you  shall  hear,''  cried  Vishnu- 
swami,  **  you  shall  hear." 


II.    TWILIGHT 
The  Cobblee  Reaches  India 

FOR  some  time  the  sleepy  twitter  of 
birds  was  the  only  sound  in  the 
empty  bazaar,  while  in  the  village 
itself  the  melancholy  thud  of  a  tom-tom 
arose  occasionally,  presaging  some  one's 
sorrow,  an  illness  or  a  death.  Then 
through  the  hush  of  the  twilight  Chunder 
Singh  remarked: 

*^  Many  are  the  questions  you  have 
loosened  under  my  turban  concerning  this 
Carey  Sahib.  Now,  as  to  that  woman,  his 
wife;  you  mentioned  her  unwillingness  to 
cross  the  oceans  lying  between  England 
and  our  shores.  I  doubt  not  that  he  gave 
her  many  beatings  till  she  came ;  how  else 
can  a  man  bring  a  disobedient  wife  to  her 
senses? " 

Vishnuswami  smiled  in  utter  pity: 
^  *  Plainly  you  have  much  to  learn  of  Chris- 
tians, for  they  never  lift  a  hand  to  hit  their 
womankind.  You  who  tread  the  roadways 
that  I  tread,  who  seek  the  same  marriage 

21 


22        THE  CAREER  OF  A  COBBLER 

broker,  how  have  you  ways  of  knowing  of 
the  gentleness  which  Christians  show  to 
those  far  weaker  than  themselves?  So 
Carey  Sahib  tried  with  all  persuasive 
words  and  soft  entreaties  to  win  his  wife 
to  cross  the  oceans  with  him,  but  she  would 
not,  for  the  sacred  fire  was  absent  from 
her  heart.  To  her,  you  seemed  as  foolish- 
ness, I  also!  While  to  Carey  Sahib  we 
were  precious,  since  we  had  not  gotten 
down  in  the  religion  of  his  God.  So  pic- 
ture him,  thirty-three  years  old,  departing 
from  his  home  in  utter  loneliness,  with  one 
son  with  him,  the  others  left  behind.  See 
him  going  to  the  ship,  but  being  turned 
away,  since  he  had  not  the  proper  passport 
of  which  I  will  speak  later.  Also  a  com- 
panion, Thomas  Sahib,  owed  such  heavy 
debts,  that  they  would  not  welcome  him  on 
board  an  English  boat.  But  did  they  all 
turn  back?  No,  not  one  smallest  step,  for 
the  heart  that  burns  with  sacred  fire  takes 
no  account  of  trifles.    What  then?" 

''Another  ship  was  found,  no  doubt," 
said  Chunder  Singh  convincingly. 

''  Even  so!  A  Danish  ship,  which  did 
not  ask  for  passports.  Now  let  me  men- 
tion matters  new  to  both  our  ears,  my 
kinsman.    In  those  days  when  our  fathers 


TWILIGHT  23 

were  young  (you  know  little  of  dates,  yet 
this  tale  of  Carey  Sahib  should  be  placed 
in  the  year  1793,  as  the  English  reckon 
time),  there  was  an  English  trading  com- 
pany with  the  name  *  East  India  Com- 
pany '  which  had  a  plan  for  India,  that 
each  person  coming  to  our  shores  must 
get,  of  them,  a  license  or  a  passport.  Now 
in  the  coldness  of  their  business  they  re- 
fused to  grant  one  to  the  cobbler  Carey, 
thinking  he  might  help  unsettle  trade  by 
planting  new  ideas  on  Indian  soil,  ideas  of 
new  religion  and  a  Living  God.  But  let 
me  tell  you  a  second  matter,  which  you  will 
do  well  to  write  on  your  heart :  the  Living 
God  has  His  plan,  also,  and  when  He  sets 
the  sacred  fire  within  the  heart  of  man.  He 
stands  beside  to  help  in  time  of  trouble. 
So  behold,  while  Carey  Sahib  ate  the  salt 
of  bitter  disappointment  in  an  eating  house 
in  London,  a  waiter  slipped  a  card  into  the 
hand  of  Thomas  Sahib,  which  read :  *  A 
Danish  East  Indiaman,  No.  10  Cannon  St.' 
And  lo,  here  was  his  ship!  Moreover  the 
small  delay  between  the  first  and  the  sec- 
ond boat  was  long  enough  for  his  unwill- 
ing wife  to  change  the  make-up  of  her 
mind,  deciding  to  come  with  him,  &he  and 
her  sister  and  his  children." 


24        THE  CAEEER  OP  A  COBBLER 

Chunder  Singh  stroked  his  chin  reflect- 
ively :  *  *  You  speak  it  off  so  naturally,  yet 
I  would  ask  you  of  that  crossing  which  he 
had  from  England." 

^*  What  should  we  know  about  a  boat, 
you  and  I,  men  who  live  on  dry  land  and 
sleep  on  earthen  floor  each  evening  under 
our  own  thatched  roofs!  They  tell  me  in 
all  truth  the  waves  of  the  sea  rise  up  like 
mountains  and  sit  down  like  valleys,  and 
there  is  wetness  and  dizziness  while  the 
boat  is  blown  hither  and  yon  like  a  leaf  on 
a  windy  day.  It  is  not  healthy  to  dwell 
on  the  things  these  Englishmen  attempt 
to  do!  Five  moons  waxed  and  waned 
while  they  were  in  that  boat,  my  brother — 
ah,  they  were  made  of  stiif  courage  or  they 
had  not  reached  our  country ! ' ' 

Chunder  Singh  nodded  his  head  in  sheer 
amazement :  *  *  You  draw  out  my  heart ! ' ' 
he  sighed,  *'  though  I  live  to  the  age  of  an 
elephant,  never  would  I  trust  the  gods  to 
bring  me  through  such  waters.  Carey 
Sahib  must  have  had  a  royal  welcome 
when  he  landed ! ' ' 

Vishnuswami  groaned :  *  *  Have  you  for- 
gotten that  I  said  it!  That  the  East  India 
Company  wished  no  strangers  to  unsettle 
trade  or  plant  a  new  religion.     So  they 


TWILIGHT  25 

made  it  hard  for  Carey  Sahib.  There  was 
no  welcome  roof  under  which  his  head 
could  rest,  no  food  to  fill  his  children's 
stomachs,  even  rupees  from  that  new  so- 
ciety of  Christians  back  in  London,  even 
those  rupees  gave  out,  my  friend,  until  he 
had  not  the  weight  of  one  anna  to  spend  in 
the  bazaar.  To  be  sure  there  were  two 
houses  which  he  lived  in  with  discomfort — 
one  a  miserable  abandoned  garden  house 
in  a  suburb  of  Calcutta,  where  they  all 
were  ill  with  a  bad  illness,  so  that  he  was 
filled  with  longing  to  leave  such  a  hovel, 
and  sought  to  secure  land  in  the  Soonder- 
buns,  mere  jungle-swamps,  which  could  be 
taken  gratis  for  three  years.  But  as  you 
may  guess,  when  rupees  are  lacking,  travel 
is  a  thing  quite  hard  to  do.  Yet  presently 
he  found  a  boat,  and  with  his  interpreter 
named  Eam  Basu,  you  must  picture  him 
setting  out,  his  family  wailing  in  forlorn 
complaint  against  rushing  into  jungle- 
land,  where  were  tigers  and  all  beasts  of 
prey.  When  only  one  more  meal  re- 
mained, they  landed  at  an  old  deserted 
house  where  they  could  sleep  while  Carey 
Sahib  built  himself  a  hut  and  cleared  the 
land.  Are  you  not  consumed  with  admi- 
ration that  even  then  he  spent  long  hours 


26        THE  CAREER  OF  A  COBBLER 

in  learning  the  Bengali  tongue,  so  that  he 
might  tell  every  Indian  that  he  met  about 
the  Living  God  I  '^ 

**  Oh,  come  now,  Enthusiast!  How  you 
twist  your  tongue !  It  is  but  a  little  while 
since  you  were  boasting  that  the  Living 
God  had  a  plan  and  stood  close  beside  to 
help  him.  Do  you  call  it  help  that  he  found 
no  home,  no  food,  no  money,  and  must  seek 
a  dangerous  jungle-swamp?  Tell  me,  what 
of  that  comrade  you  mentioned,  Thomas 
Saiiibr^ 

Vishnuswami  passed  his  hand  over  his 
forehead  in  perplexity:  **  I  have  two 
minds  about  him,  as  did  Carey  Sahib  also, 
I  am  told.  For  he  was  most  certainly  a 
man  of  Christian  faith,  since  when  he  had 
been  in  India  before  as  a  physician  for  the 
East  India  Company,  he  toiled  untiringly 
for  the  Living  God  among  the  people 
where  he  lived.  Yet  I  tell  you  plainly  he 
was  a  man  so  quick  of  speech  and  action 
and  so  full  of  old-time  debts  (left  over 
from  his  other  stay  in  India)  that  all  men 
had  turned 'against  him;  so  half  of  Carey 
Sahib's  loneliness  came  because  of  this 
bad  opinion  regarding  his  friend.'' 

Chunder  Singh  tossed  his  head:  **  He 
should  have  kicked  him  off.    It  lies  in  my 


TWILIGHT  27 

mind  that  to  seek  a  tiger-haunted  jungle 
because  of  an  unpopular  friend  is  utter 
foolishness!  '^ 

^'  You  have  still  much  to  learn,  poor 
man,  for  these  Christians  live  with  charity 
in  one  eye  and  forgiveness  in  the  other. 
Moreover,  oh  worshipper  of  idols  carved 
from  wood  and  stone,  how  can  I  cause  you 
to  understand  what  they  tell  me  of  the  Liv- 
ing God,  that  He  is  a  brooding  Spirit,  see- 
ing the  end  from  the  beginning.  Of  late 
years  the  Sahib,  William  Carey,  has  been 
ever  saying  that  his  God  had  such  a  plan 
in  mind  that  had  he  settled  down  where  he 
first  tried  hard  to  settle,  then  that  plan 
would  not  have  come  to  pass.  Moreover, 
help  came  to  Carey  Sahib  through  this 
very  Thomas  Sahib,  who  gathered  up  the 
broken  threads  of  friendship  with  an  old- 
time  friend,  Udney  Sahib.  Now  consider 
what  a  pleasant  thing  this  was — for  Udney 
Sahib  was  an  indigo  manufacturer,  and 
even  then  was  building  two  new  factories 
needing  superintendents.  One  he  gave  to 
Carey  Sahib,  one  to  Thomas  Sahib.  And 
Carey  Sahib 's  factory  was  at  Mudnabati, 
where  he  lived  and  worked  for  five  full 
years. ' ' 

Chunder  Singh  chuckled :  ^  *  In  affluence, 


28        THE  CAREER  OF  A  COBBLER 

I  have  no  doubt,  for  it  has  reached  my  ears 
that  heads  of  factories  roll  in  silver  rupees. 
It  must  have  been  a  pleasant  change  from 
utter  poverty  and  tiger  jungles.'' 

But  Vishnuswami  tempered  his  enthu- 
siasm: *^  Gather  your  rash  guess  back 
under  your  turban,  foolish  man,  for  you 
forget  the  sacred  fire  that  burned  in  Carey 
Sahib's  heart.  Let  me  pour  into  your  ears 
the  kind  of  man  this  cobbler  was,  for  he 
who  had  been  poor  was  now  receiving  two 
hundred  rupees  a  month,  plus  com- 
missions. I  doubt  not  you  are  picturing 
gorgeous  pictures,  but  Carey  Sahib  sat 
him  down  and  wrote  a  letter  in  the  English 
language  to  Andrew  Fuller  Sahib  back  in 
England,  secretary  of  the  men  who  prom- 
ised they  would  hold  the  ropes  if  Carey 
Sahib  came  to  India.  Now,  my  brother, 
hold  your  breath,  for  I  tell  a  true  thing; 
Carey  Sahib  wrote  the  words  which  plain- 
ly said  he  had  now  so  many  rupees  that 
they  need  not  send  him  any  more  from 
England,  but  use  their  funds  to  send  new 
men  to  other  lands  to  speak  about  the  Liv- 
ing God  to  those  who  knew  Him  not. 
Moreover,  Chunder  Singh,  write  it  on  your 
heart,  that  so  simply  did  he  live  that  regu- 
larly he  gave  back  about  one-third  of  all 


TWILIGHT  29 

lie  earned  to  carry  on  his  work  for  God 
among  the  men  of  Mudnabati.  For  every 
day  he  taught  those  in  his  factory  about 
God;  he  visited  the  villages  that  were 
round  about,  he  started  schools  and  used 
his  money  for  the  good  of  men  like  you 
and  me.'* 

Chunder  Singh  gasped:  ^'  You  do  not 
say  it!  What  a  man!  Surely  his  God 
must  have  hung  blessings  round  his  neck." 

**  Not  as  you  and  I  count  blessings/' 
Vishnuswami  answered,  ^*  for  it  was  at 
Mudnabati  that  his  little  son,  just  five 
years  old,  ceased  to  breathe  the  breath  of 
life.  Indeed,  I  tell  through  tears  that  the 
very  men  employed  by  Carey  Sahib's 
money  refused  to  help  him  bury  his  son 
according  to  the  English  custom.  No  car- 
penter would  make  the  little  coffin,  so  the 
hands  of  Carey  Sahib  drove  the  nails.  To 
dig  the  grave  he  hired  four  Moslems,  no 
one  of  whom  dared  do  this  deed  alone  be- 
cause the  child  was  Christian,  so  all  shared 
equally  the  shame — indeed,  the  head-man 
of  their  village  said  they  had  so  lost  their 
caste  that  he  forbade  his  people  to  eat  or 
drink  or  smoke  with  them.  In  a  time  of 
sadness,  such  conduct  smote  the  heavy 
heart  of  Carey  Sahib,  and  he  pondered 


30       THE  CAREER  OF  A  COBBLER 

mncli  upon  the  foolish  ways  of  India." 

Chunder  Singh  bristled  indignantly: 
**  How  mean  you?  That  the  ways  of  India 
are  not  right!  That  our  fathers  and  our 
fathers^  fathers  worked  foolishness  for  us, 
their  sons  ?  ' ' 

With  strange  gentleness  Vishnuswami 
calmed  his  wrath:  ^*  Oh,  man  of  my  own 
village,  I  ask  you — ^how  can  we  see  our- 
selves! It  is  like  staring  at  one^s  own  re- 
flection in  a  jungle  pool — you  see  your 
front  and  go  away  much  pleased;  but  a 
stranger  looking  at  you  from  behind  sees 
the  hump  upon  your  back,  and  the  sad  con- 
dition of  your  turban  and  your  garments. 
Even  so  with  Carey  Sahib,  he  brought  new 
eyes  to  see  us.'' 

But  Chunder  Singh  would  not  calm 
down:  *^  Name  me  the  things  he  counted 
foolishness!  '' 

**  You  ask  me,  so  I  answer.  First  of  all, 
our  idols.  He  saw  us  bend  the  knee  to 
monkeys  carved  from  stone,  to  elephants 
of  teakwood;  he  saw  us  offering  gifts  to 
the  goddess  of  smallpox,  Sheelutla,  she 
who  has  no  head  and  rides  a  headless 
horse,  as  well  as  all  the  thousand  other 
idols  we  implore  to  save  us.  Sadness  set- 
tled on  his  soul,  for  in  his  Book  of  Heaven 


TWILIGHT  31 

his  God  had  put  a  warning  to  mankind: 
*  Thou  shalt  have  no  other  gods  before  me ; 
thou  shalt  not  make  unto  thee  any  graven 
image.'  '' 

'*  Well,  I  admit  I  never  know  which  to 
placate  in  my  special  troubles,  such  fickle 
beings  as  they  are,  off  on  a  journey,  may- 
be, or  asleep!    Name  other  things.'* 

^*  He  liked  not  our  ways  with  women 
and  with  little  girls.  He  who  dealt  gently 
with  his  own  reluctant  wife,  shuddered  to 
see  the  beatings  put  upon  the  backs  of 
India's  women,  and  disliked  to  see  small 
maidens  wedded  at  an  early  age.  Widow- 
hood I  have  made  mention  of  already,  how 
Christian  custom  is  far  gentler  than  our 
way  of  tearing  off  all  jewels,  shaving  the 
head  and  naming  her  ^  untouchable  '  for- 
ever. Moreover  his  deepest  soul  was  so 
stirred  that  he  got  laws  enacted  to  stop  our 
old-time  practice  of  suttee,  when  the  widow 
was  burned  upon  her  husband's  funeral 
pyre." 

Chunder  Singh  spoke  in  high  displeas- 
ure :  *  ^  I  have  heard  it  was  this  sahib  who 
fought  hard  and  long  to  stop  that  custom. 
But  is  there  no  end  to  the  things  he  tried 
to  change?  He,  almost  a  pariah,  a  mere 
worker  in  leather!    My  blood  runs  hot  to 


32        THE  CAREER  OF  A  COBBLER 

hear  one  of  his  caste  berating  others 
higher  up." 

Vishnuswami  cahnly  added  new  insults : 
**  Well,  he  liked  it  not  when  mothers  flung 
their  infants  in  the  Ganges  to  gain  peace ; 
this,  too,  he  stopped  by  law.'' 

**  Oh,  as  for  that,  I  have  no  doubt  a 
wreath  of  marigolds  flung  on  the  stream 
does  just  as  well.    Have  you  finished? '' 

*' Finished?  I  have  just  begun!  For 
how  he  hated  caste,  yet  how  cautiously  he 
acted  in  so  delicate  a  matter.  Now  caste, 
my  brother,  is  as  if  we  built  us  hills  to 
bring  separation,  so  that  men  of  the  writer 
caste  dare  not  touch  men  of  the  goldsmith 
caste,  nor  any  of  us  live  with  any  of  those 
low  caste  men  who  do  work  in  leather  or 
who  sweep  the  streets.  Even  the  shadow 
of  such  hills  is  great  unpleasantness.  Yet 
now  that  Carey  Sahib  has  walked  up  and 
down  my  village  I  have  learned  an  old 
truth:  down  underneath  the  hill  lies  the 
same  earth.  Carey  Sahib  said  it  yet  an- 
other way,  translating  from  his  Book  of 
Heaven :  '  God  hath  made  of  one  blood  all 
races  of  men  for  to  dwell  on  the  face  of  the 
whole  earth. '  ' ' 

Chunder  Singh  laughed  loud  and  long: 
"'One   blood/   say   you?     Yvliat!     The 


TWILIGHT  33 

sweeper  and  the  Brahman  one!  You  play 
with  words,  my  brother,  for  can  one  say  to 
the  hill:  'Sit  downT  Neither  could 
Carey  Sahib  say  to  men  in  India :  *  Change 
your  ways.'  '' 

But  Vishnuswami  had  his  word  also: 
* '  But,  dense  man  of  one  idea,  if  the  hill  be 
too  unpleasant,  lo,  I  can  walk  out  with  my 
spade  in  the  cool  of  the  evening  and  I  can 
shovel  it  away  with  diligence  so  that  when 
morning  breaks  my  neighbours  cry  ap- 
provingly: '  The  hill  is  gone — how  far  we 
now  can  see,  brother  seems  to  live  by 
brother!  This  new  way  is  better.  Ah, 
Vishnuswami,  you  are  like  the  gods,  you 
willed  it  and  the  hill  was  gone !  *  But  deep 
in  my  own  heart  would  I  not  know  it  was 
my  spade  that  dug  away  the  hill?  So 
Carey  Sahib  sought  a  tool  to  level  igno- 
rance and  caste.  I  dare  not  name  that  tool 
until  I  have  gone  further  with  his  story. '* 

*' Tell  me  its  name!''  cried  Chunder 
Singh  impatiently  and  imploringly. 

''  Not  yet,  unbeliever!  You  would  not 
credit  it  with  power  unless  I  told  the  tale 
in  order  as  it  comes.  Bind  peace  around 
your  forehead,  brother,  for  the  evening 
lies  before  us.    You  shall  hear ! ' ' 


III.    STAELIGHT 
They  That  Tuen  Many  to  Righteousness 

SILENTLY,  one  by  one,  Vislinu- 
swami  saw  the  stars  thrusting 
themselves  through  the  blueness 
of  the  heavens,  and  suddenly  pointing 
upward  in  an  ecstasy,  he  cried:  ^'  Could 
you  count  them  for  me,  oh  friend,  so  wise 
in  figures  V 

Chunder  Singh  laughed  outright.  ^^  With 
two  small  eyes?  You  ask  too  much!  Be- 
sides what  have  the  stars  to  do  with  Carey 
Sahib :  full  well  I  know  some  hidden  mean- 
ing behind  your  words  f 

''  Look  closer, ''  Vishnuswami  said, 
'  ^  and  you  will  notice  stars  of  greater  light 
and  stars  of  lesser  light,  which  make  the 
darkness  bearable.  Fasten  your  eyes 
while  I  name  the  bigger  stars  in  order: 
the  one  straight  up  above  the  hut  of  old 
Ram  Poona — ^I  name  it,  Carey  Sahib ;  next 
in  line — I  call  it  Marshman  Sahib;  the 
next,  Marshman  Mem  Sahib ;  then  William 
Ward  Sahib." 

34 


TWILIGHT  85 

**  Stop!  Stop!''  cried  Chunder  Singh, 
*^  why  should  I  store  so  many  names  be- 
neath my  turban,  names  of  English 
strangers  of  whom  I  never  heard? '' 

With  mock  pathos  came  the  gay  reply: 
*^  Poor  scattered  man!  Yet  I  am  hard  put 
to  it  to  tell  more  of  Carey  Sahib  unless  I 
also  mention  Marshman  Sahib  and  his 
wife,  also  Ward  Sahib.  Write  their  names 
upon  your  heart!  The  lesser  stars  I  will 
come  to  later:  Krishna  Pal,  Gokool, 
Krishna  Prosad — ^wait,  and  you  shall 
hear. ' ' 

*^  Men  of  India,  those  last,"  Chunder 
Singh  remarked  with  certainty.  '^  And 
now,  no  doubt,  you  will  go  on  with  the  tale 
of  Carey  Sahib  and  his  factory,  making 
indigo. ' ' 

*^  But  only  for  the  briefest  minute!  For 
you  must  hear  of  a  bad  season,  of  a  most 
disastrous  flood,  of  pirates  seizing  pre- 
cious cargoes  on  the  ocean,  of  Carey  Sahib 
seeing  that  his  factory  must  be  closed  for 
sudden  lack  of  rupees.  At  once  he  sent  a 
letter  across  the  many  seas  to  England, 
telling  Andrew  Fuller  Sahib  and  the  Bap- 
tist Society  who  held  the  ropes,  that  he  was 
now  well  acquainted  both  with  tricks  of 
sHindu  natives  and  with  lowest  rates  for 


36        THE  CAREER  OF  A  COBBLER 

housekeeping  in  India;  wherefore  it  had 
been  borne  upon  his  heart  that  six  or  seveB 
families  could  be  kept  for  almost  the  same 
expense  as  one.  He  earnestly  drew  out  his 
soul  to  the  sahibs  in  England  to  set  their 
faces  toward  him  and  send  new  men  to  tell 
about  the  Living  God.  Have  I  named 
these  men?  No.  I  have  saved  their  title 
until  now — *  missionaries  '  they  are  called. 
And  Carey  Sahib  especially  put  it  down  on 
paper  that  these  sahibs  should  bring  wives 
as  hearty  in  the  work  as  their  husbands 
were.  He  also  wrote  his  plan :  these  fami- 
lies all  should  live  together  in  a  cluster  of 
straw  houses,  in  a  line  or  square;  no  one 
was  to  have  anything  of  his  own,  but  all 
must  hold  their  things  in  common.  More- 
over, there  should  be  fixed  rules  regard- 
ing eating,  drinking,  worship,  learning, 
preaching  and  the  other  daily  things  they 
had  to  do.'' 

Chunder  Singh  slapped  his  knee  vigor- 
ously :  ^ '  Ha !  Ha !  he  must  have  eaten  the 
fruit  of  madness  to  suggest  a  plan  like 
that !  Even  the  gods  could  never  live  with- 
out high  quarrels  and  it's  only  human  to 
desire  one's  own.  Poor  Carey  Sahib,  he 
was  doomed  to  disappointment!  Or  per- 
haps no  men  were  found  brave  enough  to 


TWILIGHT  37 

cross  those  many  oceans  which  you  say 
rise  up  like  mountains  and  sit  down  like 
valleys. '  * 

Vishnuswami  pointed  to  the  stars  again : 
*  *  Did  not  I  name  them  to  you !  Marshman 
Sahib  and  his  wife,  Ward  Sahib  also?  For 
you  must  hear  how  men  in  England  called 
to  mind  that  first  unselfishness  of  Carey 
Sahib  years  before,  refusing  money  when 
he  was  receiving  also  from  his  factory. 
Therefore  they  sent  him  his  arrears  in  sal- 
ary and  found  men  eager  to  come  across 
to  India  at  once.  Men  who  also  had  the 
sacred  fire.  It  is  curious,  but  one  day  be- 
fore leaving  England  Carey  Sahib  had  met 
Ward  Sahib,  a  man  who  was  by  trade  a 
printer.  Now  mark  the  words  that  Carey 
Sahib  said  to  him  that  day,  ^ve  years  be- 
fore :  '  If  the  Lord  bless  us,  we  shall  want 
a  person  of  j-our  business  to  enable  us  to 
print  the  Scriptures.'  And  see,  William 
Ward  was  one  of  the  sahibs  who  arrived 
with  Marshman  Sahib  and  his  wife.  As 
for  this  woman,  I  could  tell  you  tales  to 
last  until  w»  both  grew  bent  with  a^.  Oh, 
what  a  woman  is  she,  friend  of  mine !  You 
do  not  dream  such  females  live." 

With  scant  politeness  came  a  grunt: 
^  *  Dwell  not  on  women !   Am  I  not  full  now 


38        THE  CAREER  OF  A  COBBLER 

with  tales  of  them!  I  tell  you  frankly  they 
cannot  draw  my  heart.  But  tell  me  more 
of  Carey  Sahib's  plan  of  small  straw  huts 
— 'tis  plain  to  see  he  envied  much  the  kind 
of  huts  we  build !    I  like  it  in  him. ' ' 

**  Oh,  foolish  neighbour!  Has  it  entered 
your  heart  to  ask  why  he  craved  such  great 
uncomfortableness?  He  who  was  used  to 
windows  made  of  glass  and  things  called 
chairs  to  elevate  his  body  from  the  earth 
and  so  extend  his  legs,  as  well  as  other 
things  these  English  think  are  necessary.'* 

**  Well,  was  it  not  because  he  liked  our 
ways  the  best? " 

^*  You  package  of  conceit!  Let  it  pene- 
trate your  turban  that  he  wished  it  only 
for  our  sakes,  and  for  others  such  as  we — 
so  that  when  we  looked  we  might  not  be 
offended  by  the  difference  between  us,  but 
might  whisper  in  our  beards :  *  Behold  this 
man  of  England  is  like  a  brother  to  me!' 
So  all  this  he  wrote  to  England  to  that  so- 
ciety of  which  I  have  said  much. ' ' 

*  *  You  prick  me  awake !  And  did  these 
sahibs  from  England  indeed  live  in  small 
straw  huts  like  ours  1 ' ' 

^  *  You  hurry  my  tale  too  much,  Chunder 
Singh ;  let  me  proceed  in  order,  telling  first 
how  they  arrived  without  passports  from 


TWILIGHT  39 

the  East  India  Company,  wMch — though 
composed  of  men  called  Christians — places 
love  of  gold  before  all  else  in  life,  and  were 
bitter  against  men  of  the  Living  God. 
There  was  one  to  warn  these  English 
sahibs  not  to  land  in  Calcutta  but  in  a  town 
called  Serampore,  full  eighteen  miles 
away.  This  town  belonged  to  the  nation 
known  as  Denmark,  you  must  know.  So 
it  was  from  Serampore  that  Sahib  Ward 
traveled  down  to  Mudnabati  to  meet  Carey 
Sahib.  Picture  in  your  mind  how  earnest- 
ly they  talked,  how  Carey  Sahib  came  to 
see  that  since  he  was  no  longer  manu- 
facturing indigo  he  dare  not  stay  on  Eng- 
lish soil  in  India,  to  preach  the  Living  God 
without  a  license  from  that  so  ungracious 
East  India  concern.  W^ard  Sahib  pressed 
the  benefits  of  Serampore — under  Danish 
rule,  you  understand — and  Carey  Sahib 
saw  with  happy  eyes  its  possibilities  and 
went  there  to  dwell  until  the  end  of  life. 
Now  the  date  of  this  going  was  the  year 
1800,  as  the  English  reckon  time." 

*'  I  am  consumed  with  impatience — you 
still  make  no  mention  of  straw  huts ! ' ' 

^*  Well  you  shall  now  hear,  poor  crea- 
ture !  You  shall  hear  that  they  looked  long 
and  hard  for  land  big  enough  to  hold  those 


40        THE  CAREER  OF  A  COBBLER 

huts,  but  none  was  to  be  found.  So  now  I 
tell  you  of  a  change  in  plan.  For  in  the 
center  of  the  town  was  found  a  house,  so 
large  it  cost  six  thousand  rupees,  brother. 
But  in  their  hearts  they  saw  how  it  would 
answer  every  purpose,  for  it  had  a  cool 
and  broad  verandah  and  a  hall,  with  two 
rooms  on  each  side;  rather  more  to  the 
front,  two  other  rooms,  quite  separate; 
and  on  one  side,  a  store-house,  which  the 
sahibs  planned  to  use  as  an  office  for  print- 
ing. Now  as  to  situation,  picture  a  large 
plot  of  ground  beside  the  Hoogli  Eiver, 
picture  the  wall  around  it,  with  a  garden  at 
the  bottom  and  a  fine  large  pool  of  water 
in  the  middle." 

Chunder  Singh  replied  in  awe :  ^  ^  You 
strike  me  between  the  eyes,  old  friend! 
This  sounds  like  the  palace  of  a  rajah,  of 
great  magnificence ! " 

^*  It  is  true  it  was  unlike  the  simpleness 
they  had  in  mind,  and  Carey  Sahib  liked 
it  not  on  that  account,  but  even  in  the  midst 
of  largeness  one  need  not  spread  one's  self 
with  vanity!  So  it  was  there  they  lived 
even  as  Carey  Sahib  planned  at  first:  all 
preached  and  prayed  in  turn,  one  person 
superintended  the  affairs  of  the  household 
while  one  moon  was  waxing  and  waning, 


TWILIGHT  41 

then  another  took  full  charge ;  Carey  Sahib 
was  treasurer,  and  kept  the  chest  of  medi- 
cines. Each  week  they  devoted  the  even- 
ing of  Saturday  to  adjust  their  differences 
and  pledged  themselves  anew  to  love  each 
other.  Also,  they  promised  not  to  engage 
in  private  trade,  but  to  do  all  for  the  bene- 
fit of  the  Serampore  Brotherhood.  Ah,  it 
draws  out  my  heart  to  hear  with  how  per- 
fect a  love  they  dwelt  together,  of  one 
heart,  of  one  soul ;  neither  said  any  of  them 
that  any  of  the  things  he  possessed  were 
his  own;  all  things  were  held  in  common! '' 

Chunder  Singh  smiled  discreetly:  '*  I 
make  no  doubt  it  lasted  not  over  long,  how- 
ever ! " 

^^  You  err,  oh  man  of  many  quarrels 
for  I  give  you  the  truth  when  I  say  that  for 
seventeen  years  they  thus  lived  in  perfect 
peace,  until  their  numbers  outgrew  the 
house  and  others  must  be  builded.  Indeed, 
I  breathe  into  your  ear  this  splendid  word: 
there  never  came  one  breath  of  trouble  to 
those  men  in  India ;  moreover,  neither  was 
there  trouble  across  the  sea  in  England  so 
long  as  Andrew  Fuller  lived,  the  sahib 
who — but  surely  I  have  said  it  many  times 
— he  who  was  the  secretary  of  the  men  who 
held  the  ropes  while  Carey  Sahib  came  to 


42        THE  CAREER  OF  A  COBBLER 

India.  But  when  tliis  Fuller  Sahib  was 
gathered  to  his  fathers  there  arose  in  Eng- 
land other  sahibs  doubting  that  these  mis- 
sionary men  in  India  could  be  left  to  man- 
age things  alone.  Ah,  it  is  sad,  my  Kins- 
man, when  worshipers  of  the  same  God 
look  on  each  other's  affairs  with  doubting 
eyes,  and  think  unpleasantness  concerning 
rupees.  But  store  it  in  your  heart,  how 
Carey  Sahib  went  his  even  way  till  now  all 
men  cast  happy  eyes  upon  his  years  in 
India,  saying,  *  Behold  a  saint ! '  '  * 

Chunder  Singh  grew  irritated :  *  ^  You 
keep  saying  it,  but  what  deeds  did  he  com- 
mit to  merit  such  high  praise.'' 

*^  What!  You  trouble  me  for  deeds, 
when  I  have  filled  your  ears  with  nothing 
else  since  sunset  time*?  Is  it  nothing  that 
he  lived  in  perfect  peace  with  all  the  other 
sahibs'?  that  he  never  rested!  that  he  never 
held  his  gains  unto  himself?  that  he  always 
tore  his  heart  for  those  in  sorrow  to 
bring  comfort?  that  he  troubled  much  to 
learn  our  tongue  and  memorized  our 
shastras  that  he  might  argue  with  our  men 
of  learning  about  God?  that  every  breath 
he  drew  from  first  to  last  was  drawn  to 
serve  the  Living  God  and  lead  the  men  of 
India  to  Him?'' 


TWILIGHT  43 

*  *  You  say  it,  and  it  has  a  fervent  sound, 
but  lo,  I  stop  the  praises  on  your  lips  with 
one  question:  mention  me  one  son  of 
Indians  men  who  stepped  down  into  this 
new  religion !    Ah,  I  have  you  now !  * ' 

**  Not  so,  poor  Chunder  Singh,  place 
your  eyes  again  upon  the  stars,  and  note 
the  lesser  ones  that  twinkle  in  the  sky.  Oh, 
man  of  my  own  village,  those  little  stars 
are  those  of  India's  sons  who  stepped 
down  into  the  new  religion  and  believed 
with  joy.  Moreover  I  named  them  but 
awhile  ago — have  you  forgotten  Krishna 
Pall 

Chunder  Singh  shrugged  his  shoulders 
in  a  non-committal  answer.  This  man 
seemed  of  unending  wonders ! 

*  *  Bend  down  your  ear,  for  it  is  true  that 
seven  long  years  passed  by  before  Carey 
Sahib  leveled  any  hill  of  heathendom.  At 
the  doors  of  how  many  huts  did  he  salaam? 
On  how  many  earthen  floors  did  he  sit 
down  to  talk  about  the  way  to  God?  How 
many  hours  did  he  spend  toiling  at  his 
desk  sharpening  the  tool  of  tools  to  level 
all  those  lofty  hills?  Soon :  I  will  name  the 
tool;  just  now  remember  what  a  tedious 
space  of  time  is  seven  years,  composed  of 
many  hopeful  days,  of  many  disappointed 


44        THE  CAEEEE  OF  A  COBBLER 

nights.  He  drew  out  his  soul  in  very 
anguish,  Chunder  Singh.  Then  there  was 
a  man  of  the  carpenter  caste,  Krishna  Pal, 
whose  arm  was  dislocated.  In  pain  it 
dangled  by  his  side  until  the  man  of  medi- 
cine, Thomas  Sahib,  mended  it  for  him." 

Chunder  Singh  was  curious :  ^ '  Now  as 
to  that  mending,  of  what  nature  was  it?  A 
chanting  with  the  lips!  A  beating  of 
drums — or  what!  " 

Vishnuswami  laughed:  ^' You  man  of 
ignorance!  I  have  it  as  a  fact  that 
Thomas  Sahib  tied  poor  Krishna  Pal  fast 
to  a  tree  to  hold  him  quiet — ^he  being  too 
unused  to  Christian  healing.  Then  with 
the  aid  of  Carey  Sahib  and  Marshman 
Sahib  he  replaced  the  dangling  bone  and 
bound  it  round  in  strips  of  cloth  and  slabs 
of  wood  to  keep  it  straight.  Meantime 
what  questions  gushed  from  Krishna  Pal, 
who  felt  his  sin  most  keenly.  And,  while 
he  asked,  the  Living  God  stepped  quietly 
inside  the  heart  of  Krishna  Pal,  and  he 
was  blest." 

^^  All  at  once!  Do  you  say  he  got  down 
into  the  new  religion  all  at  once!  " 

**  My  friend,  how  can  I  say!  I  only 
know  he  came  each  day  to  talk  with  Carey 
Sahib  and  the  hunger  in  his  heart  was  fed. 


TWILIGHT  45 

Moreover  his  wife  and  all  his  family  were 
impressed,  also  his  far  neighbour,  Gokool. 
Now  I  can  prove  their  change  of  heart, 
since  Gokool  sat  by  Krishna  Pal  inside  his 
hut  and  ate  rice  with  him,  a  mem  of  dif- 
ferent caste/' 

"■  What?  Lost  caste  deliberately?  What 
was  he  thinking  of,  when  gods  are  all  so 
fickle  anyhow? '* 

^*  The  Living  God  is  different,  so  they 
say,  unchangeable  from  yesterday  even 
until  to-morrow.  Moreover,  Krishna  Pal 
and  Gokool  sat  down  in  the  house  of  Carey 
Sahib  and  ate  rice  with  Mm,  showing  all 
the  village  how  they  broke  their  caste  to 
serve  the  God  of  Heaven/' 

*^  I  like  it  not ! ''  groaned  Chunder  Singh 
s<adly. 

* '  Then  I  make  no  doubt  you  would  have 
been  in  the  crowd  of  two  thousand  Hindus 
in  that  village  to  curse  Gokool  and  Krishna 
Pal,  "also  Rasu,  Krishna's  wife,  and  Joy- 
mooni,  her  sister.  You  also  would  have 
dragged  them  by  their  hair  before  the 
Danish  magistrate ! " 

* '  Indeed  I  would ! ' '  said  Chunder  Singh 
vindictively,  ^'  that  brought  them  to  their 
senses,  I  am  sure." 

^*  Think    again  I"    said    Vishnuswami, 


46        THE  CAREER  OF  A  COBBLER 

^^  for  the  magistrate  himself  was  Christian 
and  dismissed  their  case  1  So  on  a  Sunday 
came  the  ceremony  in  the  river,  known  as 
Baptism.  It  happened  that  Gokool  and 
both  the  women  wished  to  wait ;  so  Krishna 
Pal  and  Felix,  son  of  Carey  Sahib,  were 
baptized  together;  picture  that  scene:  the 
foot  of  Carey  Sahib's  garden  where  the 
Hoogli  river  ran.  Hindus,  Moslems,  Euro- 
peans lined  the  banks,  the  blue  river  softly 
flowed,  while  Christians  sang  in  sweet 
Bengali : 

*  Jesus,  and  shall  it  ever  be, 
A  mortal  man  ashamed  of  Thee?' 

Ah,  brother,  it  would  have  drawn  out  your 
heart  to  hear  Carey  Sahib  explain  that  the 
Christians  did  not  think  the  river  sacred, 
as  Hindus  count  the  Ganges  sacred,  but 
that  by  this  act  the  convert  was  renouncing 
all  his  gods  and  all  sins,  to  put  on  Jesus 
Christ,  the  Living  God.  Is  there  fire  in 
your  heart  to  feel  the  warmth  of  Carey 
Sahib's  joy?  Seven  years  in  India — and 
behold,  this  first  new  Christian!  And  so 
full  of  joy  was  Krishna  that  when  he 
spoke  of  it  to  Gokool,  both  he  and  the  two 
women   changed   their   minds   again   and 


TWILIGHT  47 

asked  to  be  baptized  as  soon  as  possible/' 

'*  Now  as  to  Krishna — did  his  joy  con- 
tinue week  by  week!  Could  any  god  givs 
peace  forever! '' 

^^  My  friend,  such  peace  was  his  that  his 
first  act  was  putting  up  a  house  of  worship 
to  the  Living  God  across  the  roadway 
from  his  hut.  The  very  road  on  which  the 
car  of  Jaganath  was  yearly  drawn,  while 
victims  flung  themselves  beneath  the 
wheels.  And  in  this  little  house  of  worship 
Carey  Sahib  preached  each  week  on  Sun- 
day, while  the  Christians  rested  from  their 
daily  work.  A  Christian  *  church  '  they 
named  it:  the  very  first  that  Carey  Sahib 
had  in  India.  Then,  one  by  one  as  other 
Hindus  joyfully  got  down  into  the  new  re- 
ligion, they  buiit  new  huts  by  that  of 
Krishna  Pal  and  dwelt  in  peaceful  happi- 
ness.'' 

A  silence  fell  while  each  man  thought  his 
thoughts.  Chunder  Singh,  still  skeptical, 
his  eyes  fixed  on  the  stars;  Yishnuswami 
throbbing  with  strange  impulses  he  never 
knew  before. 

**  Chunder  Singh,"  he  whispered  pres- 
ently, *'  it  comes  to  my  mind  to  sing  you 
the  hymn  which  Krishna  Pal  composed  to 
tell  the  drawing  of  his  heart." 


48        THE  CAREER  OF  A  COBBLER 

So  through  the  silent  night  he  sang  with 
Christian  cadence: 

**  Oh  thou,  my  soul,  forget  no  more, 
The  Friend,  who  all  thy  sorrows  bore. 
Let  every  idol  be  forgot. 
But,  oh  my  soul,  forget  Him  not. 

Eenounce  thy  works  and  ways,  with  gri&f. 
And  fly  to  this  most  sure  relief; 
Nor  Him  forget,  who  left  His  thron« 
And  for  thy  life  gave  up  His  own. 

Infinite  truth  and  mercy  shine 
In  Him,  and  He  Himself  is  thine : 
And  canst  thou  then,  with  sin  beset, 
Such  charms,  such  matchless  charms  for- 
get?" 


W.    MOONLIGHT 

The  Cobbler's  Paper  Voices 

WITH  impressionistic  suddenness 
the  moon  transformed  the 
whole  scene  into  a  startling 
mass  of  black  and  white;  dark  mysteries 
lurked  beneath  the  flapping  awnings  of  de- 
serted stalls,  the  whole  market-place 
seemed  silver-paved;  an  eerie  sense  of 
something  stealthy  in  the  night  wind  made 
the  two  men  edge  close  together,  their 
gaudy  turbans  gleaming  white  with  moon- 
beams. 

**  Perhaps  you  weary  of  this  tale,^'  said 
Vishnuswami,  crafty  as  a  fisherman;  for 
he  knew  well  that  Chunder  Singh  had 
made  no  move  that  meant  departure,  but 
rather  gave  a  subtle  bid  for  more  dis- 
closures: were  they  not  elbow  to  elbow, 
knee  to  kneel  Will  a  man  linger  to  be 
bored  when  the  hour  for  sleeping  is  at 
hand!  So  it  came  as  no  surprise  when 
Chunder  Singh  replied : 

*  *  Could  I  lay  down  my  head  in  my  own 


50        THE  CAREER  OF  A  COBBLER 

hut  until  I  hear  what  tool  it  was  which  this 
worker  in  leather,  this  low  caste  cobbler 
from  far  England,  used  to  level  what  you 
call  the  hill  of  heathendom,  of  caste  and  of 
idolatry.  Your  boast  regarding  him 
rankles  in  my  head;  yet  a  smile  plays  on 
my  lips  for  full  well  I  know  that  habits  of 
our  fathers  are  unchangeable.  Custom  is 
custom !  It  is  folly  to  claim  that  more  than 
three  or  four  of  India's  men  turned  topsy- 
turvy for  a  new  religion.  I  do  not  hear 
you  name  the  others.'* 

'^  Wait  patiently,''  warned  Vishnu- 
swami  gravely,  ^^  for  Carey  Sahib  was  a 
little  man,  short  in  stature,  and  even  as 
these  English  count  beauty  he  had  no  looks 
to  specially  recommend  him,  since  even  the 
hair  on  the  top  of  his  head  was  gone  en- 
tirely; but  have  you  let  it  pass  from  your 
heart  that  he  who  tends  a  sacred  fire  is  as 
ten  strong  men  for  deeds  1 ' ' 

Chunder  Singh  smiled  sarcastically: 
**  With  my  own  eyes  I  have  seen  the  mon- 
soon come,  when  the  rains  poured  down, 
filling  the  pools  and  tanks,  turning  the 
parched  earth  green.  And  though  I  had 
been  on  a  journey  I  would  know  by  the 
sight  of  my  eyes  that  the  refreshing  had 
come  in  my  absence.    So  I  claim  that  you 


MOONLIGHT  51 

boast  overmueli  of  this  Carey  Sahib  unless 
you  can  tell  me  of  things  I  can  see  with  my 
eyes  and  feel  with  my  hands. '^ 

Vishnuswami  groped  in  a  fold  of  his 
garment  and  drew  out  an  object,  small  and 
squarish :  ^ '  Spare  your  breath,  for  here  I 
hold  the  very  tool  which  leveled  all  the 
heathen  hills  I  mentioned.  Hold  it  in  your 
hands,  my  brother,  feel  it  with  your 
fingers.'' 

Chunder  Singh  took  it  and  thumbed  it 
curiously:  ^'  Well,"  he  exclaimed,  **  am  I 
wiser?  Yet  I  am  both  feeling  and  finger- 
ing." 

'^  Keep  right  on,"  Vishnuswami 
ordered,  cool  and  calm,  ^^  'tis  no  black 
magic,  I  assure  you, — do  not  shudder !  It 
is  merely  paper  voices  speaking  in  our 
tongue  the  wonderful  works  of  the  Living 
God  which  Carey  Sahib  translated  from 
the  English." 

**  Paper  voices?"  incredulously  he  held 
it  to  his  ear.  *^  Tell  me,  does  it  speak  to 
me?  And  what  does  it  say?  And  how  did 
Carey  Sahib  ever  get  it?  " 

**  You  stuff  my  ears  too  fast  with 
questions;  let  me  tell  of  Carey  Sahib 
first.  How  back  in  the  days  when  cob- 
bling shoes  in  England,  this  Holy  Book 


52        THE  CAREER  OF  A  COBBLER 


was    open    on    the    beneli    beside    him." 

^'  Oil,  as  for  tkat!  This  was  the  place 
where  voices  called  to  him  to  *  Go  ye !  Go 
ye ! '  It  lingers  in  my  mind  he  loved  that 
Book.'' 

**  You  have  it  right.  No  doubt  you  also 
call  to  mind  the  fact  he  knew  six  tongues; 
so  now  I  tell  you  that  his  daily  habit  was 
to  read  one  chapter  from  his  sacred  Book, 
first  in  the  English  language,  then  in  each 
of  the  other  five  he  knew.  Full  well  he 
saw  that  this  Book  had  made  England 
years  before,  and  the  sacred  fire  forever 
whispered  to  his  heart  that  the  Book  could 
remake  India,  too.  So  have  I  not  said  it? 
How  with  tireless  diligence  he  learned 
Bengali  from  his  interpreter,  Eam  Basu, 
spending  long  hours  making  the  voice  of 
the  Living  God  speak  on  paper  in  Bengali 
to  all  the  sons  of  India.  Over  and  over  he 
conned  each  word:  he  said  it  in  Hebrew, 
in  Greek,  in  English,  in  Bengali.  Ah,  it 
was  a  task !  Neither  would  he  let  visitors 
or  pleasure  or  mere  weather  shorten  hours 
allotted  to  this  work." 

**  Now  I  am  full  of  other  questions, — 
how  could  he  make  it  speak  on  paper  ? ' ' 

•*  It  may  have  lingered  in  your  head  that 
one  of  the  separate  rooms  in  the  house  of 


MOONLIGHT  53 

these  sahibs  had  been  from  the  first  set 
apart  for  a  printing  office.  Now  surely 
printing  is  mystery  unknown  to  you,  also 
to  the  Hindus  in  Serampore  at  that  time. 
When  Carey  Sahib  bought  the  thing  known 
as  a  printing  press  and  set  it  up  in  the 
special  room,  the  people  in  that  town  be- 
held it  in  great  terror,  whispering  from 
turban  to  turban:  ^  Behold,  the  Idol  of 
these  Christians!'  But  when  the  Sahib, 
William  Ward,  caused  it  to  clang  and  clat- 
ter, and  showed  them  the  paper  dotted 
with  Bengali  words  from  God  to  men, 
great  mystery  settled  in  their  eyes.  To 
see  this  message  near  to !  To  hear  it  really 
speak !  To  own  a  copy  to  be  treasured  in 
the  hut,  as  jewels !  To  hold  it  for  a  neigh- 
bour's  eyes  to  see!  To  learn  the  gracious 
life  of  the  Living  God  on  earth,— that  man, 
Lord  Jesus !  Ah  well,  it  was  not  to  be  re- 
sisted.   And  many  believed." 

Chunder  Singh  peered  at  the  Book  in  his 
band  with  the  first  breaking  down  of 
prejudioe  that  he  had  shown:  **  I  am 
daten  up  with  wonder.  Oh,  for  daylight, 
to  s«d  this  message  for  myself!  It  is  not 
Yvght  a  m«n  should  live  his  Me  in  igno- 
rance. ' ' 

**  Even  go   said  Carey  Sahib.     And  I 


54        THE  CAREER  OF  A  COBBLER 

add  new  glory  to  this  English  sahib's  tale 
by  telling  how  he  could  not  rest  content  to 
learn  Bengali  only:  were  there  r^ot  other 
tongues  in  India?  Other  men  going  on 
useless  pilgrimages  to  far  distant  shrines? 
They  too  must  hear  in  their  own  tongue! 
You  are  a  man  for  numbers, — check  these 
languages  and  dialects  on  the  lingers  of 
one  hand  as  I  name  the  tongues  which 
Carey  Sahib  learned  and  made  his  Bible 
speak.  First  let  me  say  it  was  not  always 
the  whole  Book  of  Heaven  he  translated, 
sometimes  it  was  the  half  known  as  the  Old 
Testament,  sometimes  the  other  half,  the 
New  Testament;  and  several  times  one 
book  alone  was  all  he  undertook.  Now 
count:  Bengali,  Ooriya,  Maghadi,  Assa- 
mese, Khasi,  Manipuri,  Hindi  Sanskrit, 
Bruj-bhasa,  Kamouji,  Kosali,  Oodeypuri, 
Jeypuri,  Bhugeli,  Marwari,  Bikaneri, 
Bhatti,  Haraoti,  Palpa,  Kumaoni,  Gur- 
whali,  Nepalese,  Marathi,  Goorjarati,  Kon- 
kani,  Panjabi,  Mooltani,  Sindhi,  Kash- 
muri,  Dorgri,  Pushtu,  Baluchi,  Telegu, 
Kanarese.  I  am  done,  but  tell  me  the  num- 
ber lest  any  have  flown  from  my  head!  '* 

In  startled  disbelief  Chunder  Singh 
stared  at  his  fingers:  **  Seven  times  have 
I  checked  off  the  fingers  of  this  hand,  lack- 


MOONLIGHT  55 

ing  only  this  one  finger.  Thirty-four;  but 
surely  you  do  not  tell  me  the  cobbler  did 
this  stupendous  task.    How  could  he!  " 

**  Man  of  Ignorance,'*  his  comrade  said, 
**  consider  what  iho^  sacred  fire  did  to  him, 
for  in  many  tongues  he  found  no  written 
system  to  adopt,  and  had — himself — to 
learn  to  put  their  words  on  paper.'' 

*  *  Now  iadeed  am  I  stirred  within  me ! 
How  could  he  learn  so  many  different 
tongues?" 

* '  How  should  I  find  ways  to  tell  of  tire- 
some trips  in  bullock-carts  to  distant  ends 
of  India ;  of  weary  sleepings  in  the  huts  of 
strangers, — on  the  floor,  he  who  liked  to 
sleep  in  mid-air  on  a  bed ;  how  can  I  tell  of 
patient  questionings  concerning  names  for 
this  and  that  with  pundits  at  his  home  in 
Serampore!  Notes  taken  of  the  slightest 
shades  of  meaning?  And  sometimes  the 
idle  prattle  of  small  children  in  strange 
roadways  gave  him  words  too  precious  to 
be  lost,  and  he  plucked  palm  leaves  to 
prick  the  words  upon  them.  Ofttimes  he 
went  into  the  village  school  and  sat  upon 
the  ground  to  trace  in  sand  with  little  boys 
the  curious  hooks  and  curves  that  formed 
their  unknown  language.    Have  I  not  said? 


56        THE  CABEER  OF  A  GOBBLER 

— a  man  of  perseverance,  who  rested  not 
nor  stopped/' 

Chunder  Singh  sighed :  *  *  You  draw  ont 
mj  heart!  And  he,  only  a  man  of  caste 
who  works  in  leather,  doing  things  like 
thatforloveof  any  God!    Well!   Well!'' 

^*For  God — and  men  like  you  and  me." 

*  *  I  hear  a  new  thing !  Is  there  any  god 
in  India  for  whom  I  would  perform  a 
lengthy  task  like  that,  unless  I  had  com- 
mitted sin  and  must  gain  merit?  As  for 
strangers,  and  the  sons  of  strangers,  would 
I  fill  my  heart  with  curious  babblings  1  Not 
at  all !    My  heart  is  torn  within  me. ' ' 

*  *  Mine  also !  In  the  telling  of  this  tale 
I  am  amazed  anew.  They  tell  me  one  can- 
not gauge  the  distance  where  the  Sahib's 
Books  have  gone.  Consider  in  your  head 
this  fact:  seventy  million  Hindus  speak 
Bengali;  Hindi,  Hindustani  and  Urdu 
munber  twenty-five  millions ;  Ooriya  by  six 
millions  in  Orissa.  Who  indeed  can  tell 
u'here  Carey  Sahib  makes  his  Bibles 
speak?  Now  hor»  is  a  true  answer :  seven- 
teen years  after  the  Bengali  Bible  left  the 
press,  there  were  found  villages  of  peas- 
ants, Hindu-born,  who  had  given  up  their 
idol  worship,  and  were  renowned  for  truth- 
fulness, *  Satya-gooroos  '  they  called  them- 


MOONLIGHT  57 

selves  because  tliey  sought  a  teacher  sent 
from  God.  And  in  a  wooden  box  they  kept 
a  well-worn  Bible  they  had  had  for  many 
years,  they  had  no  way  of  telling  who  had 
brought  it,  but  it  gave  them  peace." 

**  Tell  me  more  like  that,"  urged 
Chunder  Singh. 

*^  Well,  there  were  Mohammedans,  fa- 
natical and  wild,  who  hid  the  Book  inside 
their  girdles,  and  got  down  into  the  new 
religion.  There  was  Narayen  Sheshadri, 
a  Brahman  so  high  caste  that  people  of  his 
village  drank  the  very  rain-pools  in  which 
he  wet  his  feet,  yet  he  renounced  his  caste, 
his  wealth,  his  family  that  he  might  sit 
elbow  to  elbow  with  low  caste  men  and  tell 
them  about  God.  There  were  women  who 
claimed  the  Book  was  written  by  a  woman, 
it  spoke  so  gently  of  them." 

'*  About  mere  women,  how  should  I 
care?  But  to  think  that  Brahmans  accept 
the  Christians'  Book  with  joy  and  calmly 
lose  their  caste,-^ah,  now  indeed,  you  grip 
me  hard !  Also,  a  minor  matter,  but  I  have 
a  great  curiosity  about  this  fabric,  paper, 
on  which  the  words  appear.  Did  it  per- 
haps come  overseas  from  Eng^land?  And 
what  makes  the  letters?" 

'*  As  to  the  paper,  at  first  Carey  Sahib 


58        THE  CAREER  OF  A  COBBLER 

used  our  India  paper,  but  being  sized  with 
rice  paste  it  attracted  both  tlie  book-worm 
and  the  white  ants,  so  that  the  printer 
sahib,  "Ward,  found  that  the  first  sheets  of 
a  book  were  all  devoured  by  insects  before 
the  last  sheet  came  off  the  press!  Paper 
from  England  was  too  slow  in  coming,  and 
of  great  expensiveness;  so  in  the  course  of 
time  they  learned  to  make  good  paper  for 
themselves,  for  which  Serampore  became 
noted  in  all  India.  As  for  type,  you  must 
hear  how  English  letters  are  not  like  the 
hooks  and  curves  of  any  Indian  tongue,  so 
new  patterns  needed  to  be  cut,  not  only  for 
Bengali,  but  for  all  the  other  languages  I 
spoke  about  just  now.  Have  I  not  said  it? 
— how  the  Living  God  stood  close  by  Carey 
Sahib,  helping?  For  when  he  most  needed 
type,  there  was  an  Englishman, — Sir 
Charles  Wilkins  was  his  name, — ^who  cut 
the  punches  with  his  own  hands  and  cast 
the  fonts  of  type;  all  this  before  Carey 
Sahib  knew  of  it.  Moreover  he  taught  this 
art  to  a  Hindu  of  the  blacksmith  caste, 
Panchanan  by  name,  and  almost  any  day 
you  could  have  seen  a  strange  thing  in  that 
workshop: — ^Panchanan  casting  type  for 
Christian  Bibles,  squatting  underneath  his 
favourite  wooden  idol,  without  which  he 


MOONLIGHT  59 

flatly  refused  to  lift  his  hand  in  work.'' 
*^  Well,  would  you  not  have  done   the 
same?  ''    asked    Chunder    Singh,    shame- 
facedly. 

**  As  to  that,  let  m.e  save  my  breath!" 
was  the  too  evasive  answer.  '^  I  only  mar- 
vel Carey  Sahib  did  so  much;  for  there  is 
a  thing  called  grammar  in  each  speech  on 
earth.  Now  how  shall  I  tell  you  of  it,  see- 
ing that  you  never  dreamed  that  grammar 
forms  each  sentence  which  you  speak?  But 
Carey  Sahib  knew  and  cleverly  extracted 
grammar  from  the  tongues  of  the  Bengali, 
the  Hindi  and  the  Mahratta,  as  well  as 
many  others;  and  the  grammar  of  each 
tongue  he  placed  in  separate  books,  so  that 
preachers  of  the  Living  God  who  followed 
him  might  never  need  to  plod  through 
weary  steps  of  knowledge  such  as  his  had 
been.  Store  one  more  of  his  activities  be- 
neath your  turban:  for  he  made  diction- 
aries of  the  different  languages  he  knew. 
Now  a  dictionary  is  a  myth  to  you,  yet  it 
is  merely  all  the  words  in  any  speech,  with 
the  meaning  of  each  word  put  down  beside 
it.  Consider  with  what  care  he  must  have 
listened  to  us  talking,  to  catch  each  little 
shade  of  difference  between  this  and  that. 
All  this  he  did  to  help  new  preachers  and 


60        THE  CAREER  OF  A  COBBLER 

new  teacliers.  And  lie  also  started  a  Bible 
Translation  College  in  Serampore  to  train 
pnndits  how  to  write  in  other  tongues." 

Chunder  Singh  spread  ont  his  hands  in 
helpless  admiration:  '^  The  strength  is 
sapped  from  my  knees  when  I  dwell  on  his 
toil !  Did  he  never  sleep  nor  take  a  rest  in 
the  shade  of  his  house  at  noonday!  Surely 
he  planned  for  everything, — what  more 
could  mortal  do  I '  ^ 

Vishnu^swami  sighed:  *^  Yet  now  I  must 
speak  of  a  great  misfortune,  terrible, 
which  cannot  be  accounted  for.  For  the 
sun  had  set  on  a  certain  evening  as  on 
other  evenings  in  the  year  1812,  as  these 
English  reckon  time;  the  Indian  type- 
founders, compositors,  pressmen,  binders 
and  writers — of  whom  I  well  know  you  are 
ignorant — had  all  gone  home :  Ward  Sahib 
sat  at  his  desk  settling  accounts  when  he 
was  stifled  by  suffocating  smoke  bursting 
into  his  office.  How  shall  I  tell  it?  But 
those  priceless  manuscripts  of  diction- 
aries, grammars,  Bibles,  even  the  steel 
punches  of  the  Oriental  letters,-— every- 
thing on  fire  for  three  sad  days!  Also 
Carey  Sahib  was  in  Calcutta,  and  on  the 
third  day  when  the  afternoon  tide  enabled 
him  to  row  back  to  Serampore,  what  did  he 


MOONLIGHT  61 

see  ?  The  immense  printing  house  reduced 
to  a  mere  shell!  The  yard  covered  with 
the  burnt  quires  of  paper,  on  which  in  the 
course  of  time  words  of  life  would  have 
been  printed!  His  stupendous  labour  for 
years  on  a  polyglot  dictionary  of  all 
tongues  derived  from  Sanskrit  also  had 
gone  up  in  smoke!  Sadness,  indeed,  my 
brother!  Tears  stood  in  his  eyes.  But 
Ward  Sahib  hesitated  not  to  find  another 
place  to  start  the  work  anew.  The  Living 
God  has  earnest  followers,  Chunder 
Singh! '^ 

**  I  hear  new  things,"  the  Hindu  slowly 
said,  *'  a  man  of  India  would  sit  down 
under  the  shade  of  his  thatched  roof  and 
say:  *  That  which  I  did  is  undone.  The 
gods  have  turned  against  me.  I  will  not 
lift  my  hand  again ! " ' 

*  *  It  is  a  truth :  our  ways  are  softly  lazy. 
Not  so  with  Carey  Sahib,  who  spared  not 
himself  in  making  new  translations;  and 
in  the  patience  of  his  heart  he  even  thanked 
the  Living  God  he  could  revise  them  better 
than  at  first.  Moreover,  although  the  loss 
was  £10,000,  so  much  sympathy  was  shown 
back  over  the  sea,  in  England,  that  Fuller 
Sahib  soon  announced  that  the  whole  sum 
had  been  subscribed  in  fifty  days !    Which 


62        THE  CAREER  OF  A  COBBLER 

sliows  a  splendid  thing,  my  brother, — that 
cobbler  who  left  England,  ah!  but  he  was 
poor  and  of  the  caste  not  to  be  noticed! 
And  for  starting  their  society  those  few 
poor  Baptists  had  but  £13,  2s,  6d,  as  I  said. 
Yet  now  that  cobbler  is  a  man  of  deeds, 
they  speak  of  him  in  the  town  of  London, 
about  the  deeds  he  did  in  India.  And 
money  poured  in  from  all  sides ! '  ^ 

With  vast  respect  Chunder  Singh 
figured  the  pages  of  the  little  Book,  then 
held  it  to  his  forehead  reverently:  ^'  To- 
morrow it  must  speak  to  me,  this  Book  of 
God,  which  makes  a  man  of  lowly  caste  so 
great. ' ' 


V.    THE  WEE  SMALL  HOUES 

A  Double  Sueprise  Coi^cerning  Women 
AND  Rupees 

FOR  a  space  of  several  moments  you 
would  not  have  known  that  they 
were  there:  two  men  in  turbans, 
quietly  communing  with  their  souls.  Dark 
clouds  scurried  across  the  moon — eclips- 
ing, then  revealing;  while  off  somewhere 
came  the  lonely  call  of  prowling  jackals. 

'*  A  she-jackal,''  shuddered  Ghunder 
Singh,  ^^  a  she-jackal  calling  to  her 
young.'' 

Yishnuswami  smiled  in  quick  apprecia- 
tion of  his  opening:  **  You  speak  the 
thought  I  had  in  mind,  to  talk  of  Hannah 
Marshman  calling  to  the  young  of  India." 

Chunder  Singh  rose  to  his  feet  and 
stretched  himself,  and  yawned :  *  *  Is  there 
ao  other  topic  of  real  merit!  I  have  no 
liking  for  a  tale  that  tells  of  women.  What 
say  our  Shastras? — that  a  pig  were 
holier?" 

**  Sit  down  beside  me,  foolish  man;  for 

63 


64        THE  CAREER  OF  A  COBBLER 

it  passes  wonder  what  that  woman  did! 
Not  only  did  she  keep  that  house  where 
dwelt  the  English  men  of  whom  I  have 
made  mention,  ordering  their  meals  and 
doing  all  the  homely  tasks  you  might  ex- 
pect of  women,  and  more  besides — since 
she  was  mistress  of  the  art  of  needlework, 
and  also  could  produce  sweet  sounds  upon 
an  instrument  of  music.  But  more  than 
this, — put  down  your  ear  to  listen! — till 
two  o'clock  each  day  she  kept  a  school,  a 
school  for  little  girls.*' 

**  I  hear  you  say  the  words,"  laughed 
Chunder  Singh  in  loud  amusement,  **  but 
surely  you  are  talking  through  your  tur- 
ban !  Do  we  not  know,  the  two  of  us,  that 
women  have  no  brains?  I  ask  you:  can 
you  teach  a  hen?  Ah  bah!  you  speak  a 
fairy  tale — I  beg  you  change  the  topic!'' 

*'  Not  so,"  said  Vishnuswami  with  en- 
thusiasm, **  I  also  ate  the  fruit  of  great 
surprise  when  first  I  heard  of  it.  But  it  is 
true,  with  my  own  eyes  I  have  seen  girls 
add  up  fig-ures,  read  from  books,  even 
write  long  sentences  on  paper!  All  this 
did  Hannah  Marshman  prove  to  men  of 
India.  Moreover  in  the  course  of  time, 
fathers  gladly  paid  good  sums  of  rupees  to 
send  their  daughters  to  this  school.     It 


MOONLIGHT  65 

must  have  been  a  sight  for  village  eyes  to 
see  those  maidens  babbling  actual  wisdom, 
as  learned  as  a  son.  And  I  must  tell  that 
from  that  flood  of  rupees  flowing  in,  Mem 
Sahib  kept  out  only  sufficient  to  run  her 
home  on  simplest  fare  in  meager  style. 
They  were  not  grasping  folk,  those  mis- 
sionaries! Heroic  self-denial  was  their 
way  of  life,  and  all  money  was  in  common 
for  the  work  of  God.    More  of  this  later.'' 

*^  Meanwhile  I  am  consumed  with  inter- 
est. Do  you  tell  me  in  all  soberness  that 
many  females  filled  their  heads  with  knowl- 
edge gained  from  her  you  name  as  Hannah 
Marshman! " 

**  Many  females,  poor  man  of  doubts! 
Indeed  her  school  was  sadly  overcrowded. 
Picture  to  yourself  those  maidens  patter- 
ing back  to  little  huts  near-by,  itching  to 
clean  them  up  in  tidy  fashion  as  these 
curious  English  clean ;  imagine  neighbours 
peering  in  to  see  the  strange  amazingness 
of  tiny  females  reading  like  the  very  pun- 
dits !  Envy  crept  into  the  breasts  of  stupid 
maidens,  desire  into  the  hearts  of  many 
parents  until  Marshman  Mem  Sahib  needs 
must  open  yet  more  schools,  and  then 
more — twenty-seven  all  told,  fourteen  in  or 
near  Serampore.    Moreover  many  maidens 


66        THE  CAREER  OF  A  COBBLER 

married  and  taught  the  curious  hooks  and 
curves  of  reading  to  their  little  ones, 
crooning  Christian  songs  for  lullabies.  Ah, 
you  can  see  it :  how  men  got  down  into  this 
new  religion  gladly  when  they  learned  it 
from  their  mother's  lips  in  childhood!  For 
in  every  school  Carey  Sahib's  Book  of 
Heaven  was  read  with  breathless  interest, 
and  every  meanest  pupil  learned  of  God, 
the  great  Lord  Jesus." 

**  I  cannot  swallow  my  surprise!  Neither 
do  I  wholly  like  it.  What  honour  for  a  man 
if  women  preen  themselves  to  equal  himl 
As  you  very  well  know  there  are  too  many 
women  in  my  hut,  too  many  tongues  wag- 
ging all  day,  too  many  jealousies,  too 
many  poisons  slipped  into  the  rice-bowls. 
Bah!  I'm  always  having  to  take  the  stick 
to  one  of  them !  So  I  ask  you — would  it  do 
to  have  them  any  wiser !  I  would  be  put- 
ting my  life  on  a  tray ! ' ' 

**  Give  but  a  look  at  these  women  I  men- 
tion: the  sly  foolishness  of  those  who  loll 
in  zenanas  is  all  gone ;  oh  man  with  several 
wives,  I  tell  you  frankly,  never  was  there 
loveliness  like  that  which  shines  through 
the  eyes  of  Christian  women.  Their  hands 
do  gentle  deeds,  their  lips  speak  gentle 
words.      They   give   no    time    to   jealous 


MOONLIGHT  67 

squabbles.  Moreover  I  have  seen  widows 
reinstated,  doing  happy  work ;  I  have  seen 
old  women,  wrinkled  as  a  fallen  leaf,  tuck 
Carey  Sahib's  Bibles  in  their  saris  and  go 
down  the  dusty  roadway  to  salaam  at 
neighbours'  doors,  to  enter  and  to  tell 
about  the  Living  God.  ^  Bible  women  ' 
they  are  called  just  recently.  Tell  me,  you 
man  of  India,  did  we  dare  dream  such  edu- 
cation? " 

Chunder  Singh  rubbed  his  chin  reflect- 
ivety:  *^  Since  you  ask,  I  must  say  No! 
This  Hannah  Marshman,  now — oh,  what  a 
woman!  To  open  wide  her  arms  to  silly 
fools,  and  turn  them  into  all  you  claim. 
Think  you  the  fad  will  last,  to-morrow  and 
the  day  after!" 

^*  Such  wonders  always  spread,  my 
brother,  when  the  heart  is  touched.  Carey 
Sahib  dwelt  much  on  education,  so  I  see 
future  generations  all  in  school — it  only 
lacks  for  teachers  even  now ! ' ' 

"  Then  I  burn  to  hear  of  what  was  done 
for  boys,  if  mere  girls  had  such  attention." 

Vishnuswami  smiled:  **  Marshman  Sa- 
hib had  a  school  for  boys,  a  startling  school 
to  teach  wonders  you  and  I  lack  knowledge 
of :  the  world  itself,  the  men  who  live  in  it, 
where  oceans  lie  and  continents  stretch  oUt 


68        THE  CAREER  OF  A  COBBLER 

like  islands  in  a  lake — all  this  men  call 
*  geography.'  And  always  in  those  schools 
there  was  the  Book  of  Heaven.  You  can 
gather  how  quickly  schools  would  influence 
homes,  till  little  bands  of  Christians  every- 
where built  churches  and  men  to  preach  in 
them  on  Sundays  and  on  week-days  were 
in  great  demand.  So  Carey  Sahib  started 
Serampore  College,  to  train  these  ignorant 
preachers  for  their  work.  There  never 
was  a  Christian  college  in  all  India  before 
his!" 

Chunder  Singh  was  puzzled:  ^'  Now 
about  those  preachers — is  it  such  an  art 
that  they  must  learn  the  mysteries?'' 

'^  Brother,  could  you  do  it!  Right  awaj^ 
' — to-morrow?  No  matter  how  your  heart 
might  burn,  your  lips  would  make  sad 
blunders,  since  you  ought  to  know  the 
errors  in  your  old  religion,  all  the  beauties 
of  the  new,  and  arguments  to  win  men 
over." 

**  Tell  me  of  these  preachers?" 

**  The  first  was  Krishna  Pal,  that  ear- 
liest convert.  Carey  Sahib  sent  him  to  Cal- 
cutta where  he  preached  at  fourteen  differ- 
ent places  every  week,  and  made  the 
rounds  of  forty  families  to  bring  God  into 
the  lives  of  slaves  and  caste  men,  both 


MOONLIGHT  69 

alike.  There  was  Petumber  Singh,  a  man 
of  fifty  years,  born  of  the  writer  caste, — 
he  sought  peace  from  sin  for  thirty  weary 
years  at  all  our  Hindu  shrines  and  read  all 
the  Brahman  scriptures  hopelessly.  One 
of  Carey  Sahib's  tracts  fell  into  his  hands 
and  he  walked  the  forty  miles  to  Seram- 
pore  to  get  instruction  from  the  author. 
Rejoicingly  he  begged  to  be  baptized;  and 
being  of  the  writer  caste,  was  able  to  be- 
come a  school-master  at  once,  then  later  a 
preacher  to  his  own  caste.  And  lest  it  slip 
my  mind,  I  will  make  mention  of  Krishnu 
Prosad,  the  first  Brahman  who  ever  bowed 
his  neck  before  the  Living  God.  You  will 
tremble  to  hear  how  he  took  the  poita — 
that  seven-fold  thread  he  wore  across  his 
body,  the  mark  of  his  caste — and  trampled 
it  beneath  his  feet  to  show  how  Jesus 
Christ  was  everything  to  him!  He  also 
was  a  preacher.  It  was  men  like  these 
whom  Carey  Sahib  taught  in  his  college, 
he  himself  teaching  many  curious  subjects 
of  which  we  both  lack  knowledge :  such  as 
Divinity,  Zoology  and  Botany. ' ' 

**  You  speak  it  off  so  glibly,  friend  of 
mine !  But  how  should  I  know  what  a  col- 
lege looks  like,  never  having  seen  one  in 
my  lifer' 


70        THE  CAREER  OF  A  COBBLER 

Vishnuswami  waxed  eloquent:  ^'  Here  I 
can  do  full  justice  to  my  tale,  for  with  my 
o^Ti  eyes  I  have  seen  the  great  portico  of 
this  college  which  faces  the  Hoogli  River — 
six  columns,  carved  at  top  and  bottom,  like 
those  in  temples,  brother.  Inside  were 
iron  stairways  of  huge  size  to  elevate  the 
students  from  the  first  to  second  floors. 
For  these  Christians  are  strange  men,  they 
build  a  house  on  top  of  a  house,  as  it  seems 
to  me,  and  walk  around  over  each  others' 
heads  in  the  most  amusing  way !  They  told 
me  that  the  wrought  staircases  and  the 
magnificent  gate  were  both  made  far  over 
the  many  oceans  in  England." 

^^  This  all  sounds  like  the  palace  of  a 
rajah,"  gasped  the  simple-minded  Chunder 
Singh,  **  such  wonders  cost  many  rupees, 
no  doubt." 

**  They  wanted  to  build  good  things  for 
God  in  India,  so  that  Brotherhood  at 
Serampore,  themselves,  gave  every  anna 
of  the  cost!  £15,000  it  came  to,  an  enor- 
mous sum,  but  they  denied  themselves  all 
luxuries  which  their  schools  and  printing 
presses  were  earning  for  them." 

Chunder  Singh  nodded :  **  You  have  said 
this  several  times,  yet  I  am  perplexed 
anew,  for  you  and  I  give  only  to  gain  some 


MOONLIGHT  71 

special  merit  from  the  gods.  But  here  are 
men  who  seem  to  give  for  no  known  rea- 
son, since  their  God  must  have  been  daily 
tickled  at  their  humble  way  of  living;  it 
seems  a  useless  waste  of  pleasant  money!'' 
**  Then  let  me  dazzle  you  yet  more,  poor 
fellow!  For  Carey  Sahib  had  an  honour 
from  the  British  Government  long  before 
that  fire  of  which  I  spoke  a  while  ago.  For 
there  was  at  Calcutta,  where  the  governor 
lived,  a  newly-formed  Fort  William  Col- 
lege, where  men  in  the  civil  service  of  the 
East  India  Company  were  sent  for  higher 
leaiTang.  And  when  this  college  had  need 
of  someone  to  teach  the  Bengali  tongue, 
who  so  good  as  Carey  Sahib?  So  for  over 
thirty  years,  my  friend,  he  rowed  down  the 
winding  river  to  Calcutta  every  Tuesday, 
rowing  back  the  eighteen  miles  each  Fri- 
day evening,  writing  translations  for  you 
and  me  on  the  trip.  Two  matters  espe- 
cially please  me  about  this  weekly  visit  of 
his :  one  is  the  sublime  sight  in  Calcutta — 
the  great  professor  teaching  the  govern- 
ing classes  of  India  Sanskrit,  Bengali,  and 
Marathi  all  day  long,  while  each  evening  as 
the  sun  was  setting  he  sought  the  maimed, 
the  halt  and  the  blind  and  gave  them  medi- 
cine, preaching  in  several  languages  their 


72        THE  CAREER  OF  A  COBBLER 

florious  hope  in  God,  his  Saviour.  And 
tkt  second  pleasing  matter  is  that  the  so 
ingracious  East  India  Company  which 
once  treated  him  inhospitably,  were  now 
paying  him  £1,800  a  year  for  teaching 
these  three  languages !  How  they  did  turn 
the  tables  on  themselves!*' 

^^  £1,800 !''  gasped  Chunder  Singh, 
**  with  wealth  like  that  a  man  could  settle 
back  against  a  shady  wall  and  sun  his  toes 
forever ! ' ' 

^'Ah!  But  from  that  £1,800  a  year  he 
kept  but  £40  for  his  own  family  use,  the 
rest  went  to  the  mission  of  the  Living  God, 
for  schools  and  Bibles  and  the  work  of 
teaching  preachers,  also  paying  them.  Put 
down  your  ear  and  I  will  name  the  exact 
sums  this  cobbler  had  the  handling  of: 
from  that  society  in  England  which  he  did 
so  much  to  start,  he  received  £600  all  told, 
throughout  his  life ;  while  on  making  India 
Christian  he  himself  spent  £1,625  earned 
in  his  indigo  factory;  and  of  what  he 
earned  as  professor  in  Calcutta,  also  as 
translator  of  Bengali  for  the  government, 
he  gave  back  £46,625!  So  generous  was 
he,  that  when  he  died,  oh  my  brother,  they 
actually  had  to  sell  his  hooks  to  pay  his 


MOONLIGHT  73 

son  a  little  sum  promised  him.    All  this  I 
think  shows  love  for  God!'' 

The  face  of  Chunder  Singh  was  beam- 
ing: *^  Now  I  believe!  Now  I  believe!  He 
had  indeed  the  sacred  fire!  For  I  have 
been  many  times  to  the  market-place,  and 
a  man  will  not  part  with  his  rupees  idly — 
for  a  whim.  Truly  he  did  much  to  make 
boasting  of!'' 

**  Boasting!  Ah,  how  little  you  grasp 
the  nature  of  this  sacred  fire.  Listen  while 
I  tell  of  it  another  way:  Picture  Carey 
Sahib  crossing  a  broad  hallway  in  Fort 
William  College;  two  men  stand  talking, 
one  a  stranger,  one  the  high  and  lofty  gov- 
ernor; and  the  stranger  said:  *  Speak  to 
me  the  name  of  him  who  crosses  the  hall- 
way, '  and  the  governor  replied :  *  It  is  our 
professor  of  Sanskrit,  William  Carey — 
once  he  was  but  a  poor  shoemaker  in  Eng- 
land!' But  Carey  Sahib  overheard  those 
words,  and  with  grave  modesty  he  made  a 
quick  correction:  *  Nay,  your  lordship,  I 
was  but  a  humble  cobbler!^  Which  was  as 
if  he  said  a  cobbler  is  a  whole  caste  lower 
than  a  shoemaker!" 

Chunder  Singh  sighed :  ' '  I  have  no  more 
breath  left  to  praise  such  gentle  lack  of 
boasting.    A  man  who  will  not  hoard  his 


74        THE  CAREER  OF  A  COBBLER 

own  rupees,  who  spends  Ms  days  in  hard- 
est work  for  someone  else,  who  willingly 
cries  himself  lower  before  another — oh 
Vishnuswami,  was  there  ever  one  so 
humble,  yet  so  great?'' 

Vishnuswami  bowed  his  head  upon  his 
knees  in  utter  thankfulness :  ^  *  At  last  you 
ask  the  secret  of  it  all,  and  I  name  Carey 
Sahib's  master — Jesus  Christ.  Oh  Chun- 
der  Singh,  all  heaven  was  His,  all  great- 
ness and  all  glory;  yet  for  us  He  trod  the 
earth,  the  son  of  a  mere  carpenter.  To- 
morrow you  shall  read  of  Him  in  Carey 
Sahib's  Book  of  Heaven,  the  one  that 
speaks  our  tongue." 

*  *  How  can  I  ever  wait  till  daybreak  ? ' ' 
sighed  the  man  of  skepticism,  fingering  the 
Book  with  tense  impatience,  his  eyes  scan- 
ning the  east  for  signs  of  dawn. 


VI.    DAWN 
Into  a  New  Hope 

STEANGE  things  were  taking  place 
with  Vishnuswami :  tears  ran 
down  his  cheeks,  joy  bubbled  over 
in  his  heart.  In  the  telling  of  his  tale  a 
new  belief  had  crept  npon  him,  and  he  saw 
the  signs  of  sheer  abandon  in  Chunder 
Singh's  deep  interest.  It  was  as  if — but 
no',  would  men  of  caste  get  down  into  a 
new  religion!  Deliberately?  Alone  upon 
an  empty  market-place? 

**  Are  we  to  stay  silent  until  dawn?  Is 
there  no  more  to  tell  of  Carey  Sahib? ''  his 
listener  asked  with  evident  desire. 

**  Yes/'  answered  Vishnuswami,  **  there 
is  more.  It  comes  to  my  head  how  little  I 
have  said  about  his  actual  living;  the 
trifling  things  that  make  man's  life  quite 
human;  his  sons,  his  wife,  his  idle 
moments,  and  his  death.  Put  down  your 
ear  and  listen.  You  will  be  sad  to  hear 
how  little  help  Carey  Mem  Sahib  would 
give  him, — she   was   loath   to   leave  the 

75 


76        THE  CAREER  OF  A  COBBLER 

shores  of  England,  as  you  well  recall.  But 
I  say  it  in  a  whisper:  she  was  mad,  with 
crazy  fancies  in  her  head;  and  was  kept 
confined  indoors  until  her  days  were 
ended. ' ' 

^*  He  should  have  put  her  out  of  the 
way,''  said  Chunder  Singh  contemptu- 
ously. 

But  Vishnuswami  rebuked  him  in  short 
measure:  '^  What,  you  say  it?  Have  you 
gained  so  small  a  view  of  Carey  Sahib's 
heart?  With  tenderness  and  kindness  he 
always  acted  toward  her,  and  indeed  to 
everyone.  Time  would  fail  to  name  the 
people  he  befriended.  In  Calcutta,  for  in- 
stance— poor  orphans  and  children  from 
the  dregs  of  that  big  city,  waifs  so  wild 
you  would  not  dream  of  teaching  them,  as 
Carey  Sahib  did!  His  school  grew 
famous!  And  I  add  one  more  amazing 
thing:  a  Hospital  for  Lepers!  Ah,  you 
grumble!  You  think  them  only  fit  for 
cruelties,  to  live  their  lives  of  torture  by 
the  roadside,  kicked  at  by  lazy  passers-by? 
You  would  not  lift  your  hand  to  help? 
Well,  even  so  was  I,  myself,  till  it  came  to 
my  ears  how  the  heart  of  Carey  Sahib 
melted  within  him  when  he  saw  their 
frightful  sores,  and  heard  their  helpless 


DAWN  77 

groans.  Moreover,  I  tell  you  truly  that 
the  Living  God,  Lord  Jesus,  also  cared  for 
lepers — it  seems  that  we  have  erred  in 
passing  by  their  sufferings,  Chunder 
Singh.'' 

*^  You  say  new  things, — gentleness  to 
witless  wives,  to  orphans  and  to  lepers; 
ah,  well,  this  may  be  best,  I  know  not. 
What  would  I  gnin  by  being  gentle  to 
themr' 

^^  I  ask  you: — what  did  Carey  Sahib 
gain  but  work  and  worry?  He  did  it  not 
for  merit,  but  for  love  like  that  of  Jesus 
Christ.  I  cannot  phrase  it  for  you  as  I 
ought.  To-morrow  we  will  read  of  it  in 
Carey  Sahib's  Book.  At  present  I  con- 
tinue with  his  life.  His  second  wife  was 
just  the  wife  he  needed,  a  Danish  lady  of 
high  birth  who  came  to  India  for  her 
health.  Long  years  after  her  death,  he 
married  a  third  time;  it  is  not  well  for 
Englishmen  to  be  alone  in  distant  lands." 

**  You  raise  another  question:  had  he  no 
aching  to  go  back  across  the  sea  to  Eng- 
land I" 

*^  I  asked  that  very  thing  of  him  who 
told  me  all  this  tale;  but  he  said  no,  that 
Carey  Sahib  never  crossed  again  those 
many  oceans ;  have  I  not  told  it ;  how  deep 


78        THE  CAREER  OF  A  COBBLER 

he  loved  India?  It  was  as  Ms  own  home, 
where  he  poured  out  forty-and-one  years 
of  endless  toil  for  others.'' 

Chunder  Singh  sighed  profoundly :  *  *  He 
is  heyond  me!  Had  he  no  lazy  pleasure! 
No  idle  pastime!  No  season  of  lingering 
in  the  shade  when  the  sun  is  at  the  top  I ' ' 

'^  Yes,  there  was  one  place  he  loved  pro- 
foundly ;  it  was  a  garden.  But  even  in  this 
respect  he  did  not  sit  back  in  soft  ease,  for 
ever  since  he  was  a  boy  in  England  he  had 
a  passion  for  the  growing  flowers,  the  buz- 
zing insects  and  the  trees.  They  tell  me, 
Chunder  Singh,  that  when  a  little  lad  the 
walls  of  his  own  room  were  full  of  speci- 
mens from  all  the  countryside.  AVas  there 
a  little  unknown  flower?  a  curious  bug? 
Back  it  went  to  his  father's  cottage,  where 
he  looked  at  it  long  and  earnestly  until  he 
knew  it  well; — as  to  the  flowers,  he  knew 
what  their  petals  should  be  in  number,  and 
what  shape  their  leaves;  as  for  the  flying 
things,  he  knew  the  number  of  their  legs 
and  wings,  where  they  breathed  and  what 
they  fed  on.  They  tell  me  this  is  science, 
something  men  write  down  in  books-  to 
study;  but  Carey  Sahib  thought  it  out 
alone,  a  little  lad  among  the  fields  of  Eng- 
land." 


DAWN  79 

*'  A  curious  kind  of  pleasure  to  tramp 
around  and  look  for  creeping  things ! ' ' 

''  I  said  it  myself!  But  they  tell  me  it 
is  often  so,  that  men  who  serve  the  Living 
God  most  fervently  find  pleasure  in  these 
simple  things  their  God  created  when  He 
made  the  world.  And  Carey  Sahib  kept 
his  interest  all  his  life,  and  started  gardens 
near  his  homes  in  India.  Especially  so  in 
Serampore,  where  you  can  see  to-day  a 
space  of  ground  five  acres  big,  a  little 
paradise  walled  in  to  keep  away  the  Brah- 
mans'  bulls,  the  village  cows,  the  prowling 
jackals  and  the  thoughtless  youths.  From 
north  and  south  and  east  and  west  he 
brought  the  trees  and  flowers  of  India  for 
his  garden ;  gorgeous  lilies,  climbing  vines, 
and  monster  trees  of  every  type,  rare  and 
unknown  in  lower  Bengal:  mahogany  and 
deodar,  the  teak  and  tamarind,  the  carob 
and  the  eucalyptus.  He  wrote  letters  to 
his  friends  in  England  and  requested 
seeds,  so  that  in  time  there  were  beds  of 
tropical  glories  and  beds  of  prim  English 
beauties,  and  a  long  avenue  of  shade  tree» 
known  as  Carey's  Walk.  And  in  this  love- 
ly spot,  alone,  he  walked  with  God  and 
prayed.  At  sunrise  he  was  there  to  start 
his  day  in  peaceful  meditation;  starlight, 


80        THE  CAREER  OF  A  COBBLER 

and  lie  came,  communing  with  the  hrood- 
ing  Spirit  of  his  God.'' 

'  *  Do  you  tell  me  that  he  did  the  planting 
and  the  weeding!'' 

*  *  No,  he  hired  good  men  of  the  gardener 
caste,  whom  he  trained  in  all  the  clever 
arts  of  planting.  He  even  taught  them 
Latin  wording  for  the  plants;  one,  wiser 
than  the  rest,  could  name  almost  three 
hundred  plants  in  Latin.  I  must  make  a 
boast  about  that  garden,  for  men  of  science 
said  it  was  *  the  rarest  botanical  collection 
in  the  East;'  perhaps  you  may  recall  it 
was  on  Botany  that  Carey  Sahib  lectured 
in  his  college.  Let  me  tell  one  further  tale 
about  it  which  I  cannot  leave  unsaid;  for 
when  in  utter  weakness  Carey  Sahib  was 
about  to  die  he  said  in  trembling  voice: 
*  ^VTien  I  am  gone,  Brother  Marshman  will 
turn  cows  into  the  garden ! '  But  Marsh- 
man  Sahib  gave  him  instant  promises  to 
keep  the  garden  sacred,  and  his  gardener 
came  each  day  to  tell  him  of  new  flowers 
that  bloomed." 

'*  I  like  it  Tery  mueh,"  cried  Chmnder 
Singh,  *'  flowers  talk  to  my  heart;  bmt  not 
those  crawling  insects.  Who  knows  what 
spirits  of  departed  men  may  haunt  them?" 

**  Carey  Sahib  had  no  such  belief  about 


DAWN  81 

them.  I  must  tell  you  how  he  wrote  about 
them  each  in  many  separate  books, — a 
book  for  insects,  one  for  birds,  others  for 
fishes,  beasts  and  reptiles.  Such  full  com- 
plete descriptions,  Chunder  Singh,  it  would 
seem  as  if  more  than  two  eyes  were  neces- 
sary to  see  so  much !  Ah  well,  this  was  his 
nature,  a  plodding  sahib,  full  of  desire  to 
know.  Indeed  I  hear  it  said  that  had 
Carey  Sahib  come  to  India  as  a  Man  of 
Science  only,  he  would  still  have  been  the 
famous,  well-known  man  he  is.  I  mention 
an  Agri-Horticultural  Society  he  started, 
the  first  there  ever  was  in  India. '^ 

**  How  do  you  say?  Another  special 
deed  he  did?    Explain  it  to  me.'' 

'^  By  now,  you  know  his  eager  mind 
quick  to  notice  all  the  things  we  do  so  poor- 
ly. Well,  he  had  seen  India's  weary 
farmer  dig  his  tiny  plot  of  ground  with 
a  bent  stick  and  raise  a  crop  of  weazened 
vegetables  and  grain.  He  had  seen  famine 
stalking  through  the  land,  la3dng  low  the 
weak  and  helpless,  and  saw  how  worship- 
ing  a  wooden  god  was  all  the  remedy  the 
people  knew.  So  he  wrote  letters  back  to 
England  ordering  scythes  and  sickles, 
ploughs  and  spades,  as  well  as  grains'  and 
seeds.     Then  he  tried  an  experiment  and 


82        THE  CAREER  OF  A  COBBLER 

with  great  tact  won  farmers  here  and 
there  to  throw  aside  their  crooked  sticks 
and  use  his  tools.  And  look !  That  farm- 
er's  fields  grew  better,  his  vegetables  were 
large  and  juicy.  So  with  that  much  suc- 
cess to  go  by,  Carey  Sahib  formed  this  new 
Bociety,  Agri-Horticultural.  We  are  not 
farmers,  you  and  I,  yet  I  puff  with  pride 
that  in  the  Town  Hall  at  Calcutta,  they  ex- 
hibited vegetables  equal  to  the  choicest  in 
all  England,  which  all  came  from  following 
Carey  Sahib's  plan  for  fifteen  years.  This 
was  good  for  Carey  Sahib's  converts,  for 
it  made  them  self-supporting  and  of  stand- 
ing in  their  several  neighbourhoods.  Do 
you  wonder  that  the  members  of  that  Agri- 
Horticultural  Society  voted  to  place  in 
their  rooms  a  marble  bust  of  Carey  Sahib, 
as  a  token  of  their  proud  indebtedness.  It 
is  a  noble  thing  when  men  of  learning 
stoop  to  farming  for  our  sakes!" 

'*  You  have  said  my  very  thought,"  said 
Chunder  Singh  rejoicing,  *'  my  mind  is 
weighted  with  the  wonders  that  this  cob- 
bler did.  He  must  have  had  more  days 
than  other  men  to  do  such  lengthy  tasks ! " 

**  Not  so!  not  so!  The  sacred  fire  di- 
rected him  with  wisdom,  and  he  worked 
unceasingly.    They  tell  me  of  a  thing  he 


DAWN  83 

said  one  time  to  Eustace  Carey,  a  nephew 
full  of  the  desire  to  put  Ms  uncle's  life  on 
paper  for  all  men  to  read, — a  thing  which 
Carey  Sahib  had  no  liking  for.  Listen  to 
the  thing  he  said  quite  humbly :  ^  If  you 
give  me  credit  for  being  a  plodder,  you  will 
describe  me  justly.  Anything  beyond  will 
be  too  much.  I  can  plod.  To  this  I  owe 
everything ! '  ' ' 

^*  Well,  he  said  that  once!*'  sighed 
Chunder  Singh,  ''  but  surely  another  time 
he  would  have  welcomed  praise.  It  is 
sweet  to  hear  the  honeyed  words ! ' ' 

*  *  Oh,  man  of  compliments,  I  tell  this  yet 
another  way :  there  was  a  sahib,  Alexander 
Duff,  by  name,  a  noble  man  of  God  from 
Scotland,  who  also  came  to  bring  the  news 
of  Jesus  Christ  to  India.  Now  when  he 
heard  of  Carey  Sahib's  final  illness  he 
came  fast  to  see  him,  but  the  sick  sahib 
being  weak  of  voice  and  body  lay  silent 
while  his  friend  talked  much  of  Carey 
Sahib's  deeds  in  India  until  the  time  to 
leave  arrived.  As  he  was  going  through 
the  door  the  feeble  voice  pronounced  his 
name  and  he  hurried  back  with  pleasure  to 
hear  what  Carey  Sahib  had  to  say;  with 
solemn  gentleness  it  was :  '  Mr.  Duff,  you 
have  been  speaking  about  Dr.  Carey,  Dr. 


84        THE  CAREER  OF  A  COBBLER 

Carey,  when  I  am  gone  say  notliing  about 
Dr.  Carey — speak  of  Dr.  Carey's  Sav- 
iour! "    Such  was  his  humility. ' ' 

'^  Ah/'  said  Chunder  Singh,  his  breath 
long-drawn,  his  feelings  overpowered, 
*^  he  was  simple  as  a  little  child!'' 

*'  You  have  said  it!  So  close  to  God  was 
he,  he  seemed  to  feel  a  startling  distance 
no  one  else  could  see.  They  tell  me  that 
before  he  died,  he  gave  directions  that  his 
tombstone  was  to  bear  the  simplest  word- 
ing: just  his  name,  dates  of  his  birth  and 
death,  and  then  below  this  couplet : 

*  A  wretched,  poor  and  worthless  worm 
On  Thy  kind  arms  I  fall.'  " 

**Ah!''  breathed  Chunder  Singh  once 
more,  his  throat  eor^tracted  in  a  sob.  This 
was  in  very  truth  religion!  To  have  per- 
formed such  deeds,  to  win  such  fame,  and 
yet  to  stay  so  humble.  Mere  words  were 
insufficient — they  held  each  other's  hands 
as  strong  men  starting  on  a  journey. 

Then  in  the  east  a  streak  of  dawn  ap- 
peared, and  Vishnuswami  gently  called: 
'*  See,  the  light  is  breaking!  This  is  the 
Christians'  day  of  quietness,  of  rest  from 
toil  and  business.    Soon  vou  will  hear  the 


DAWN  85 

bell  of  yonder  chapel  calling  those  to  wor- 
ship who  have  gone  down  into  this  new 
religion.  Shall  we  not  go  to  sit  with  them! 
For  how  can  I  tell  you  as  I  ought  about  tha 
thinga  of  God,  seeing  I  am  myself  a  man  of 
sin,  and  ignorant?  The  tale  I  have  been 
telling  has  placed  much  love  around  my 
heart  and  deep  desire  behind  my  eyelids. 
I  would  see  more  of  Christians! '' 

*^  I  also!''  said  the  man  of  skepticism. 

And  when  with  break  of  dawn,  an  early 
merchant  came  to  fix  his  stall,  he  found 
them  kneeling, — gold  and  scarlet  turbans 
in  the  dust,  praying  with  a  glad  and 
humble  reverence:  ^^  Oh  God  of  Carey 
Sahib,  come  Thou  into  our  hearts  to  reign, 
and  make  us  men  of  true  religion." 

The  End. 


MISSIONS,  HOME    AND    ABROAD 


MARGARET  T.  APPLEOARTH 

Next  Door  Neighbors 

Thumbnail  sketches  from 
Home  Missions.  $1.25 

A  delishtful  series  of  stories, 
written  for  ehildren,  getting  forth 
the  many  curioiis  and  interesting 
traits  which  distinguish  the  little 
folks  of  various  races  and  na- 
tionalities who  rub  shoulders  in 
our  hospitable,  cosmopolitan  land. 
A  notable  addition  to  Home  Mis- 
sion literature. 

J.  E.  SAUNDERS,  Th.  D. 

Graves    Theological    Seminary, 
Canton,   China 

The  Chinese  as  They  Are  $1.50 

The  well-known  missionary  writer  in  his  latest  work 
shows  the  exact  situation  now  confronting  the  Chinese 
and  the  Western  world.  A  book  of  great  fascmation  for 
all  interested  in  the  Chinese  question. 

J,  R.  SAUNDERS,  Th.  D. 
Men  and  Methods  That  Win  in  the 
Foreign  Fields  $1.00 

"A  thoughtful  study  of  the  present  coniVtions  er.isting 
in  the  foreign  mission  fields  and  a  consideration  oi  the 
best  means  for  spiritual  and  Christian  conquest  m  these 
non-Christian  areas." — Christian  Advocate. 

MARGARET  M.  LACKEY 

"Laborers   Together" 

A  Study  of  Southern  Baptist  Missions  in 
China.     Illustrated.  .  $1.00 

A  practical  study  of  Southern  Baptist  Missions  m 
China  especially  adapted  for  Reading  Courses  and  per- 
sonal study. 

WILLIAM  OWEN  CARVER,  D.D. 

Professor  of  Comparatine  lleligion  and  Missions 
Southern  hjLptist   Theol.  Sem. 

The  Bible,  A  Missionaiy  Message 

Study  of  Activities  and  Methods.  $1.50 

An  invaluable  book  dealing  in  a  detailed,  comprehen- 
sive way  with  God's  plan  of  salvation  for  the  race,  ftS 
revealed  in  His  Word,  History,  Prophecy  et«. 


BOOKLETS 


FREDERICK  F.  SHANNON 

The  Land  of  Beginning 
Again 

The  Comrade  Series.  .60 

llr.  Shannon's  conspicuous  gifts  are 
given  full  play  in  this  exceptionally 
fine  bit  of  writing  based  on  the  story 
of  Naaman  the  Syrian.  Finely  phras- 
ed, enriched  with  copious  illustration, 
it  forms  an  attractive  and  valuable 
addition  to  the  list  of  books  written 
by  this  eloquent  American  preacher. 


pnEOMiCK  r  ';iMnnen 


JOHN  MARVIN  DEAN 

The  Miracle  on  Hermon 

A  Tale  of  The  Carpenter.  .60 

The  Comrade  Series. 

A  story  of  the  dawn  time  of  Christianity  written  in 
an  unusual,  unhackneyed  vein.  It  tells  us  of  how  a 
little  Gentile  cripple-child  caught  a  vision  of  the  strong^ 
healing  Christ,  on  the  shining  slopes  of  Hermon. 

EDWARD   LEIGH  PELL 

The  Story  of  Abraham  as  Told  by  Isaac 
The  Story  of  Paul  as  Told  by  Himself 

Each,  Illustrated,  50c. 

New  volumes  in  a  very  popular  series. 

"Dr.  Pell's  aim  in  these  stories  is  to  make  the  Bible 
heroes  more  real  to  young  people  by  having  them  teU 
their  own  life  stories."— Christian  Observer, 


Earlier  Volumes  of  Pell's  Bible  Stories 

Illustrated.  Each,  .50 

The  Story  of  Abraham.    As  Told  by  Isaac. 
The  Story  of  Paul.    As  Told  by  Himself. 
The  Story  of  Jesus  for  Little  People. 
The  Story  of  Joseph — The  Dreamer. 
The  Story  of  David— T/ie  Idol  of  the  Peopk. 


WORK  AMONG  YOUNG  PEOPLE 


Children's 
Gospel 

Story-Sermons 


mxm.ta*.  DXk 


HUGH  T.  KERR 

Children's  Gospel  Story- 
Sermons 

A  New  Volume  of  Talks 
to  the  Young.  $1.25 

The  stories  are  drawn  from  his- 
tory, mythology,  the  daily  news- 
papers, biography,  and  fiction.  They 
are  all  interesting,  and  the  author 
always  makes  a  plain,  sensible, 
evangelical  application  of  them,  well 
calculated  to  help  boys  and  girls. 

8.  D.  CHAMBERS  Author  of  "If  I  Were  Ymi." 

To  Be  or  Not  To  Be 

Brief  Talks  with  Children  and  Young  Folks. 

$1.25 

In  Mr.  Chambers'  new  volume  of  "Five  Minute  Talks" 
he  aims  at  helping  the  children  to  right  decisions — tfl 
determine  whether  they  will,  or  will  not,  acquire  certaia 
good  and  bad  qualities,  calculated  to  either  make  or  mat 
their  characters  and  lives.  A  useful  series,  quite  above 
the   ordinary. 

W.  RUSSELL  BOWIE 

Rector  St.  Paul's  Episcopal  Church,  Richmond^  Va. 
Author  of  "The  Children's  Year,"  etc. 

Sunny  Windows 

and  Other  Seraions  for  Children.  $1.25 

"Every  pastor  has  the  rich  opportunity  of  speaking  to 
the  children,  and  desires  to  magnify  this  opportunity  for 
indoctrination  to  the  highest  degree.  The  advantage  of 
this  book  lies  in  the  fact  that  the  preacher  has  had  un- 
Tisual  success  in  his  ministry  with  the  children  in  which 
he  has  made  use  of  all  the  materials  here  accumulated." 

Christian  Advocate. 


WADE  C.  SMITH 


Author  of 
'The    LitUe    Jets'' 


etc. 


"Say,  Fellows!" 

Chummy    Talks  with  Young  Men  about  the 

Game  of  Life.  $1.25 

A  volume  of  the  famous  talks  from  Wade  Smith's 
Boys*  Class:  "Say  Fellows,  the  finest  and  biggest  and 
most  thrilling  game  of  all  is  the  life  game,  in  which 
our  adversary  is  the  devil.  The  forces  of  the  devil  are 
most  po^yerfully  organized  to  overthrow  the  forcea  of 
Crod's  Kingdom." 


IN  OTHER  LANDS 


PROF.  EDWARD  A.  STEIN ER 

Old  Trails  and  New  Borders 

In  Press. 

Tne  new  book  by  the  author  of  "On  the  Trail  of  the 
Immigrant"  is  a  revelation  of  conditions  today  in  the 
coTjntries  of  Europe  from  which  the  ranks  of  the  im- 
migrant have   been   largely  recruited. 

Korean  Commissioner 
to  America  and  Europ9 


HENRY  CHUNG 


The  Case  of  Korea 


A  Collection  of  Evidence 
on  the  Japanese  Domina- 
tion of  Korea,  and  on  the 
Development  of  the  Kor- 
ean Independence  Move- 
ment.   Illustrated.      $3.00 

"A  masterly  indictment  of  the 
Japanese  Government  before  the 
bar  of  modern  civilization.  The 
author  has  presented  v?hat  he 
claims  to  be  facts,  and  gives 
the  evidence  and  the  authorities. 
It  is  an  amazing  array,  causing 
the  reader  to  rub  his  eyes  and 
wonder." — Boston  Transcript. 

CHARLES  ALLEN  CLARK,  P.P. 

Missionary  in  that  Country  since  1902. 

First  Fruits  in  Korea 

A  Story  of  Missionaiy  Life  in  the  Far  East. 
Illustrated.  $1.75 

A  deeply  interesting  account  of  early  misMonary  work 
in  Korea  set  in  story  form.  A  striking  picture  of  the 
ideals  for  which  the  Christian  Church  in  that  country 
continues  to  stand,  despite  the  opposition  of  Japan. 

EDWARD  NORMAN  HARRIS 

Miisvionary  of  American  Baptist  Foreign  Mission  Society 

A  Star  in  the  East 
An  Account  of  American  Baptist  Missions 
to  the  Karens  of  Burma.     Illustrated.      $1.75 

Dr.  Howard  B.  Grose  {Editor  of  "Missions")  says: 
*'Have  read  this  book  with  exceeding  interest.  It  strikes 
me  as  quite  out  of  the  usual  order  of  missionary  books. 
It  is  enlightening  and  unusually  readable,  cle^.'Iy  br'/.d- 
•pirited  and  with  an  intellectual  grasp  of  conditions/' 


LIGHT  FROM  THE  ORIENT 


REF.    PAUL  KANAMORI 

The  Three  Hour  Sermon— on J3od, 

Sin  and  Salvation 

Introduction  by  Robert  E. 
Speer, 

Here  is  a  sermon  -which  has 
been  preached  over  eight  hun- 
dred times  in  Japan,  and  secured 
nearly  50,000  conversions.  Rob- 
ert E-  Speer  says:  "Many  who 
have  heard  of  Mr.  Kanamori's 
sermon  have  wished  to  know 
how  an  able  Japanese,  with  such 
an  experience  as  Mr.  Kanamori, 
could  put  the  Christian  Message. 
I  trust  it  may  have  a  wide  circu- 
latioH." 


TKAEE  HOTJJX 
3ERWQN 

PAUL  KANAMORT 


SAMUEL  M.  ZfTEMER,  F.R.G,S. 

A  Moslem  Seeker  After  God 

The  Life  and  Teaching  of  Al-Ghazali,  Mystic 
and  Theologian  of  the  Eleventh  Century.  Illus- 
trated, 

A  volume  of  intensely  interesting  data  concerning  the 
life,  influence  and  teaching  of  the  great  Persian  mystic 
Al-Ghazali,  one  of  the  very  greatest  figures  in  the  Mo- 
hammedam  world.  A  notable  addition  to  literature  on  this 
subject. 

JENNIE  r.  HUGHES 

Chinese  Heart  Throbs 

With  Introduction  by  Mary  Stone,  M.D,  Illus- 
trated, i2mo. 

A  charming,  tender  series  of  sketches  and  stories  writ- 
ten by  one  who  for  many  years  has  been  a  missionary  in 
China.  Miss  Hughes  displays  a  rare  insight  into  and 
sympathy^  with  the  people  of  the  Land  of  Sinim.  Her 
work  is  instinct  with  the  true  missionary  spirit,  rendered 
eminently  readable  by  many  touches  of  literary  grace. 

MRS.  LUCY  S.  BAINBRIDGE 

Jewels  from  the  Orient 

Illustrated,  i2nio. 

An  the  world  has  become  our  nexi  door  neighbor  in 
these  days.  To  know  its  homes  and  manners  of  living, 
its  superstitions  and  worship,  is  part  of  a  good  education. 
To  this  end  there  are  many  helpful  books,  among  which 
these  personal  sketches  of  real  people  in  Eastern  lands 
will  have  their  own  place. 


IN  FIELDS  AFAR 


Associate  Editor  "Public 
Ledger:'  Fhiladelphia 


WITHGRENFELL 
ON  THE 
LABRADOR 


FULLERTON  L.  JFALDO 

With  Grenf ell  on  the 
Labrador 

Illustrated,  i2mo. 

An  exceptionally  full  and 
deeply  interesting  account,  not 
only  of  Dr.  Grenfell's  work,  but 
of  the  quaint,  outlandish  ways 
of  the  people  of  Newfoundland 
and  the  lyabrador.  Based  on 
experiences  met  with  at  first- 
hand by  the  author. 
Whatever  "Grenfell"  hooks  you 
already    have,    don't   fail   to   get 

this!  m 

HUGH  PAYNE  GREELEY,  M.D. 
FLORETTA  ELMORE  GREELEY 

Work  and  Play  in  the  Grenfell  Mission 

With  Introduction  by  Dr.  Wilfred  T.  Grenfell. 
Illustrated,  i2mo, 

"New  light  on  the  work  of  the  Grenfell  Mission  in  Lab- 
rador. Mrs.  Greeley's  letters  are  filled  with  vividly  written 
accounts  of  life  lived  under  the  primitive  conditions  ex- 
istent on  Pilley's  Island,  while  her  husband's  diary  tells 
of  the  difficulties  overcome  and  the  beneficent  work  ac- 
complished among  fisher  folk  in  an  isolated,  out-of-the- 
way  corner  of  the  world." — Post-Express  (Rochester). 

F.  A.   McKENZIE        Author  of  The  Irastdv  of  Korea'* 

Korea's  Fight  for  Freedom 

i2mo, 

"Do  not  remain  uninformed  about  Korea.  An  amazing 
human  drama  has  been  staged  there  in  recent  months. 
Here  is  a  book  which  should  be  read.  A  great  human 
drama — inspiring,  yet  revolting— is  told  here.  If  you 
want  information  about  a  vastly  important  situation  read 
this  book." — The  Baltimore  Sun. 

VICTOR   MURDOCK     v.  S.  Federal  Trade  Commtsston 

China  the  Mysterious  and  Marvelous 

Illustrated,  i2mo. 

The  well-known  Editor,  Journalist  and  Congressman 
here  appears  as  the  writer  of  an  unusvially  vivid  presenta- 
tion of  life  in  the  Orient  as  he,  himself,  witnessed  it.  A 
notable  and  quite  out-of-the-ordinary  addition  to  the 
library  of  Oriental  travel  books,  and  works  of  bright, 
captivating  description  concerning  life  in  Eastern  lands. 


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